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THE M^HDI ^ 



PAST AND PRESENT 



Br JAMES DARMESTETER 

PROFESSOR IN THE* COLLEGE OF FRANCE 
\ 



WITH PORTRAITS \S/ 




you may hold readily in your hand are the 



most useful, after all 

Dr. Johnson 



NEW YORK 
HARPER & BROTHERS, PHT^LISHERS 

1885 



HARPER'S HANDY SERIES. 



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i 



THE MAHDI 




The Child Mahdi. (Note 35.) 






TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 



In introducino' this little volume to the En^lish- 
reading public I am performing a pleasant duty. ' ^ 
Not being its author, I may be allowed to say that 
the book is not only interesting, but also useful. 
Sketching as it does the origin and strength of the 
belief in the Mahdi, it illustrates a point of very 
great importance in regard to our Egyptian policy. 
History repeats itself so closely among the Mussul- 
mans, that to recount the adventures of former 
Mahdis is to tell the past, present, and probable 
future history of the Mahdi who has been giving 
us so much trouble of late. He is no more the first 
of his kind than he will be the last ; for, from the 
dawn of Islamism, a Mahdi has always been ex- 
pected, and he will be looked for as long as a single 

Mussulman remains. The failure of one Mahdi to 
1 



4 tkahslator's preface. 

successfully demonstrate his heavenly mission has 
always been followed by the uprising of another, 
his defeat having proved liim to be the false prophet 
who, according to tradition, is to precede and herald 
the approach of the true one.* In the following 
pages M. Darmesteter traces the history of the 
Mahdi from the first year of the Mahometan era 
(622 A.D.) to the year of grace 1885—1302 of the 
Hegira. 

In the present volume the reader may learn a 
lesson concerning Mussulman character which should 
not fail to make a deep impression upon him, and 
the perusal of its pages will convince him more 
than any words of mine could possibly do of the 
necessity of adapting our foreign policy to suit the 
peculiarities of the peoples with whom we come in 
contact. 

If a lady may be allowed to express an opinion 
on political matters, I would observe that one of 
the greatest faults to be found with English action 
in the Soudan is that it is not guided by a knowl- 
edge of Arab character. We English are too apt 
to consider that all people are constituted alike, and 
can be treated on precisely the same principles of 

* See Appendix A. 



tkanslator's preface. 5 

fairness and honesty ; we do not take sufficiently 
into consideration the habits, prejudices, rooted 
beliefs, and the wiliness and treachery of our 
brothers in the East — if indeed we can call those 
brothers whose very natures differ so widely from 
our own. This ignorance of the mental constitu- 
tions of those with whom we come in contact can- 
not but be disastrous. It was a powerful factor in 
producing the horrors of the Indian Mutiny, and 
without it Khartoum would not have fallen, and 
Gordon might now have been alive. 

I have endeavored in my translation to adhere to 
the original as closely as possible, but if my friend 
M. Darmesteter should find here and there that an 
allusion has been omitted,* or that my rendering is 
not quite literal, he will, I feel sure, pardon me, on 
the grounds that I was more anxious to give " the 
spirit" than "the letter" of his work, and that on 
the principle stated above I have tried to adapt it 
to the idiosyncrasies of the peo^^le for whom I have 
prepared it. 



* M. Darmesteter's brochure was originally delivered as a 
lecture before the Scientific Association of France, at the 
Sorbonne, on February 28, 1885. It contains many allusions 
to French politics, parties, and literature, of more interest to 
the French audience than they would be to the English reader. 



6 TRANSLATOll's PREFACE 

I am responsible only for those notes which are 
signed witli my initials, and for the Appendix in 
which I give some of the most reliable information 
I have been able to obtain about the present Mahdi 
and the fall of Khartoum, although I cannot vouch 
for the authenticity of everything therein published. 



Ada S. Ballijst. 



14 Tavistock Square, W.C. 
May 4, 1885. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE IDEA OF THE MAHDI. 

PAGE 

The Parent Religions of Islam — Meaning of the ivame 
Mahdi 11 

CHAPTER II. 

THE FORMATION OF THE IDEA OF THE MAHDI. 

Ali — The Caliphs of Damascus — The Arabs in Persia — 
The Persians side with Ali — The Divine Right — The 
Alides — Conquests of the Omeiades . . . .16 

CHAPTER III. 

THE MAHDI IN PERSIA. FIRST PERIOD. 

Mohammed the Son of the Hanefite — His Death — Myths 
of Sleeping Heroes — Mohammed and the Valley of 
Radwa — Persecution of the Descendants of Ali . . 26 



8 COITTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE MAHDI IN PERSIA. SECOND PERIOD. 

PAGE 

Fall of the Omeiades — The Abbassides — Abu-Muslim — 
The Veiled Prophet — Caliph Almansor — Ali Riza and 
Caliph Almainum— The Master of the Hour— The Sufis 33 

CHAPTER V. 

THE MAHDI IN AFRICA. 

The Fatimides — Obeid-Allah — Assassination of Abu-Ab- 
dallah — The City of the Mahdi — Hakim — The Druzes — 
The Almohades „ 44 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE MAHDI IN TURKEY. 

Sabbatai Zevi — Antichrist and the Mahdi . . , .53 
CHAPTER VII. 

THE MAHDI IN EGYPT. 

The Mahdi from Tripoli— His Miracles . . . , 57 
CHAPTER VIII. 

THE MAHDI IN THE SOUDAN. 

Parentage and Youth of the Mahdi of 1884-5— The Mahdi 
declares himself — Revolt against the Egyptians . . 60 



CONTEKTS. 9 

CHAPTER IX. 

MOHAMMED AHMED AND HIS RIVALS. 

PAGE 

The Mahdi's Manners and Customs — His Tactics — Civili- 
zation in the Soudan — The Messianic Idea among Mod- 
era Jews — When Mahdi meets Mahdi — Divine Mission 
of the Mahdi — The Mahdi's Claims contested — The 
Ulemas' Conclusions — Gordon as Antichrist — Islam's 
'93 65 

CHAPTER X. 

CONCLUSION. 

Order in the Soudan — England's Mistake — The Abyssinians 
— The Civilization of the Future 80 

NOTES 85 

APPENDIX. 

A. The Mahdi of 1884-5 Ill 

B. The Siege of Khartoum 116 



THE MAHDI. 



I. 



THE IDEA OF THE MAHDI. 

At the time of Mahomet's appearance there were 
in Arabia, besides the ancient national paganism, 
three foreign religions — Judaism, Christianity, and 
Zoroastrianism, the prevailing religion of Persia 
before the Mahometan conquest, which had been 
propagated in IN^orthern Arabia by means of com- 
merce, and in the south, in Yemen, by conquest. 
Mahomet did not take much trouble to be original : 
he borrowed his doctrines from the Jews and 
Christians, and his mythology from Jews, Chris- 
tians, and Persians. JSTo religion was ever built up 
with such cheap materials. 

A belief common to the three parent religions 



12 THE MAHDI. 

was that in a supernatural being, who at the end of 
time would bring back Order and Justice which 
had been banished from the world, and thus 
prelude the kingdom of immortality and endless 
bliss. 

This is not the place to introduce a history of 
the idea of a Messiah, which is familiar to most of 
our readers. For our present purpose it is suffici- 
ent to recall the fact that the conception originated 
in Judaism, and gave birth to Christianity, and that 
it had not taken a definite form, either among Jews 
or Christians, until subjected to the influence of 
Persian mythology. Hence, under its three forms, 
— Jewish, Christian, and Persian, — in spite of a 
certain variety of detail, there is a strong resem- 
blance in the principal points of the belief. 

In all three religions the coming of the Saviour 
was to be preceded by the letting loose of all the 
powers of evil, personified among the Jews by the 
invasion and ravages of Gog and Magog ; among 
the Christians by the Dragon, or the Beast of Reve- 
lation, and by a false prophet, the prophet of Satan, 
called Antichrist ; and among the Persians by the 
serpent Zohak (1), the incarnation of Ahriman, the 
Spirit, of Evil. 

Again, all three maintained alike that the Saviour 



THE MAHDI. 13 

was to be a direct lineal descendant of the most 
august personage in the national tradition of each : 
amonff the Jews and Christians He was called the 
Messiah, and was to be a descendant of the prophet 
king of Israel, David ; among the Persians he was 
Saoshyant (2), and was to be a son of the Persian 
prophet Zoroaster. 

In each of the three religions the most important 
historic character was to play a leading part in the 
last act of the drama. 

The Messianic doctrine of the Mussulman is bor- 
rowed from Christianity. Mussulmans, like Chris- 
tians, believe that when the time has come the 
Saviour will destroy the Beast of the Apocalypse, 
the false prophet of the last hour — Antichrist — 
whom they call Deddjdl^ the impostor ; but Islam- 
ism could not give the supreme and decisive role to 
Jesus. 

The religion of Islam acknowledges the mission 
of Jesus, but not His divinity. Since the Creation, 
it teaches, ^ve prophets had appeared before the 
birth of Mahomet — Adam, ]N'oah, Abraham, Moses, 
and Jesus — each being greater than his predecessor, 
and each bringing a fuller and higher revelation 
than the last. Jesus ranks above all the prophets 
of the old dispensation, but below those of the new, 



14 THE MAHDI. 

inaugurated bj Mahomet. In the final struggle 
He will be but the servant and auxiliary of a more 
august personage — THE MAHDI. 

The literal meaning of the word Mahdi is not, as 
the newspapers generally assert, He who leads^ — a 
meaning more in consonance with European ideas, 
— but He who is led. The fundamental idea of 
Islamism is the incapability of man to guide him- 
self — to find the truth, the right path— and that to 
ignorant man God sends now and again His proph- 
ets — men whom He has inspired with knowledge, 
and to whom He has revealed what ought to be 
done. 

The prophet in himself is as ignorant, as frail, as 
limited in his powers, as the rest of humanity ; but 
God dictates to him, makes him His mouthpiece; 
and if he leads his fellow-men it is because he alone 
is the " well-guided one," led by God — the Mahdi. 

The word Mahdi is only an epithet which may 
be applied to any prophet, or even to any ordinary 
person ; but used as a proper name it indicates him 
who is " well guided " beyond all others, the 
Mahdi par excellence, who is to end the drama of 
the world, and of whom Jesus shall only be the 
vicar. 

Jesus is to come and destroy the Antichrist, massa- 



THE MAHDI. 15 

ere the Jews, and convert Christians and idolaters 
to Islamism ; having done this He will assist the 
Mahdi in the celebration of the last great service, 
and will humbly repeat the prayer uttered by the 
Mahdi, as the faithful in the mosque repeat the 
words pronounced by the Imam (3), or leader of 
prayer. Then the trump of the resurrection will 
sound, and God will come to judge the living and 
the dead (4). 



16 THE MAHDI. 



11. 

THE FORMATION OF THE IDEA OF THE MADHI. 

The Koran does not speak of the Mahdi, but it 
seems certain that Mahomet must have announced 
him, although it is impossible to say exactly what 
idea he had formed on the subject. Among the 
words which tradition attributes to him are the fol- 
lowing: "Even though time shall have but one 
day more to last, God will call up a man of my 
family who will fill the earth with justice, as it is 
now filled with iniquity." (5) In other words, the 
Mahdi was to be of the blood of Mahomet. 

It is doubtful whether Mahomet really explained 
himself so clearly on the point. He left no sons, 
and there is nothing to indicate that in prophecy he 
admitted a principle so antagonistic to the anar- 
chist spirit of the Arab race as that of heredity. 
He never, either living or dying, appointed his 
heir, acting on the principle that God chooses 
whom He will, and is not constrained to make His 



THE MAHDI. 17 

gifts descend with the blood from father to son ; 
His favors are not dependent on the accident of 
birth. If the prophet disappears without having 
cast his mantle on the shoulders of a favored dis- 
ciple, it is the duty of the people to decide on to 
whose shoulders it shall fall. This question arose 
at the death of Mahomet, and it was quicklj de- 
cided. He left but one daughter, Fatima, whom 
he had given in marriage to his young cousin, Ali, 
the first of his proselytes, who was at the same 
time the most ardent and devoted. A considerable 
party supported Ali, but three times his claims 
were set aside, three times in twenty-three years 
the succession of the Prophet, the Caliphat, left 
open by death, passed into the hands of strangers — 
Abu-Bekr, Omar, and Othman. 

The son-in-law of the Prophet at length succeeded 
to the Caliphat, but he succumbed in the struggle 
against the fierce animosity which beset him on all 
sides, and the son of one of the greatest enemies of 
the Prophet, of one of those who had fought to the 
very last for the ancient idolatry of Arabia, Moaviah, 
Prefect of Damascus, head of the family of the 
Omeiades, founded the hereditary Caliphat on the 
corpse of Ali. 

The Caliphs of Damascus were fearful miscreants, 



18 THE MAHDI. 

who drank wine openly instead of drinking it in 
secret, as a pious Mussulman should. Their typical 
representative was Welid II., who used the Koran 
as a target to shoot at in sport, saying to it in verse : 
*' In the day of resurrection you can tell the Lord 
that it was the Caliph Welid who tore you to rags ;" 
or that Abd-el-Melik, who the moment he was 
saluted by the title of Caliph, shut the Koran which 
hitherto he had always had by him, saying : " Now 
we two must part company." Yet it was under the 
auspices of these half idolatrous princes that Islam 
made those marvellous conquests which, like those 
of the French Revolution under Napoleon, are still 
the wonder of history. It is the rule that a new 
principle can only triumph in the world by means 
of those who corrupt it and turn it to their own 
advantage. It was at the time of this triumph of 
the Omeiades that the doctrine of the Mahdi began 
to grow definite, and to be developed in favor of 
the descendants of Ali. 

Because in the interval a great event had hap- 
pened — the conquest of Persia. That immense 
empire, which for four centuries had stood its 
ground at Rome and Byzantium, had fallen, in a 
few years, beneath the attack of a few Arab squad- 
rons shouting the war-cry^ AllahaMcon^ " God is 



THE MAHDI. 19 

great." The national resistance was practically 
nothing. The armies of the State dispersed, the 
people submitted without a struggle. Nay more, 
they adopted the new religion all but unanimously, 
although it was not imposed upon them ; for the 
iV rabs, fanatics as they were, did not at first, as is 
supposed, offer the choice between the Koran and 
the sword : they made a third alternative — the pay- 
ment of tribute, an alternative the adoption of which 
the Caliphs greatly preferred to that of either of the 
others, for it had the great advantage of filling their 
coffers. The success of the Koran alarmed their 
ministers of finance, and as the uncompromising 
Mussulmans complained, it seemed as if God had 
sent the Prophet not as an apostle, but as a tax-col- 
lector. 

Almost the whole of Persia was converted, and 
willino^lv ; for the Arabian invasion was both a 
religious and a political deliverance for her. She 
had experienced under the last national kings a 
period of terrible anarchy, and the State religion, 
Zoroastrianism, a religion of pure and high morality, 
had nevertheless given rise to intolerance — a new 
thing in the East. Charged with troublesome prac- 
tices and annoying prohibitions to which the Sassa- 

nides — the first sovereigns who invented the formula 
3 



20 THE MAHDI. 

of the throne supported by the altar (6) — had given 
secular support, Zoroastrianism had lost all hold on 
the mind ; moreover, as it was hostile to that spirit 
of asceticism which people like to see in their 
religion even if they do not practise it themselves, 
it ceased to be respected without ceasing to be 
w^earisome, and it could last no longer, because 
without restricting the passions it hindered the 
interests of its professors. 

Thus from the first attack a great part of Persia 
became Mussulman, although with a curious Islam- 
ism it is true. Islam relieved her of her former 
inconvenient creed, but slie introduced into the new 
religion something far dearer to any nation than its 
religion, dogmas, or form of worship — her whole 
mythology. 

When the struggle began between Ali and the 
Omeiades, Persia was in reality very little inter- 
ested. "What did it matter to Persians whether the 
Arab Ali or the Arab Moaviah held the sceptre of 
the Caliph? They w^ould side wdth the vanquished, 
whichever party it was ; for to do so was to take 
up arms against a master. The national spirit had 
soon revived. 

They had no idea of returning to the ancient re- 
ligion, for their recollections of it were still too 



\ 



THE MAHDI. 21 

vivid. They would remain Mussulmans; but Is- 
lamism is one thing and the Arabs are another : by 
the former they would abide, but they would have 
as little to do with the latter as possible. Ali being 
defeated, was thought to be in the right, and hav- 
ing once sided with him, they did so heart and 
soul, because for the Persians Ali, the son-in-law of 
the Prophet, and the sons of Ali, grandchildren of 
the Prophet, represented the principle of heredity, 
a divine right. 

The Persian constitution for centuries past had 
rested on divine right, a principle which was, more- 
over, common to all Aryan nations in the early 
periods of their development. The Persians, like 
the Hindus, and like the Greeks of Homer's time, 
believed that there are among men certain families 
directly descended from God, to whom regal power 
belongs by the right of their superhuman nature. 
These kings, these " sons of Zeus," as the Greeks 
called them, received and transmitted from father to 
son, according to the Persian belief, a subtle flame, 
a sort of aureole of celestial origin, which was 
called the Farri yazdan, " The glory coming from 
God." The king was God, son of God. On the 
inscriptions which remain from the time of these 
princes, they are proclaimed to be " divine, of celes- 



22 THE MAHDI. 

tial race'' (Y). In their correspondence they styled 
themselves "Brother of the Sun and Moon, Man 
among Gods, God among Men" (8) ; and on their 
crowns they bore a representation of the celestial 
globe, to remind people that they were the axis or 
pole of humanity (9). 

During four centuries, under the Sassanides, Per- 
sia had been glorious and powerful, because the 
power had remained with those of legitimate de- 
scent and divine blood. Even the great Sassanides 
did not think themselves firm on the throne until 
they had fabricated a relationship through the Par- 
thian s, and the successors of Alexander, to the race 
of the Achemenides, lineal descendants of the first 
mythical heroes of the Avesta, Feridun, and Jem- 
shid. The decadence of Persia had commenced on 
the day when usurpation interrupted the line of 
divine succession. Thus for a Persian believing in 
Islamism, the pretentions and triumph of the Ome- 
iades, besides their worthlessness from the religious 
standpoint, were an outrage against reason and 
right. 

Ali was hardly dead before he became enshrined 
in legend and in myth. Ali, cousin, brother, 
adopted son of the Prophet, his first convert, and 
his bravest defender ; the warrior whom none - had 



THE MAHDI. 23 

ever vanquished ; " at the birth of whom," said 
Caliph Abu Bekr, " the bravest swords had returned 
to their scabbards ;" the Samson of his time, who, 
at the assault of Khaiber, had torn the gate of the 
town from its hinges and used it as a buckler ; the 
beautiful, the noble, the charitable, the generous, 
the wise and learned Ali, of whom the Prophet had 
said, " 1 am the stronghold of knowledge, and Ali 
is the gate of it ;" Ali, three times deprived by in- 
trigue of his inheritance, and falling at last beneath 
the dagger ol assassins, became for his admirers a 
sort of heroic Chnst militant (10). 

Hence the great schism which from the first 
divided the camp of Islam. While the greater 
H umber of Mussulmans, the men of tradition, the 
Siinnites, revered the first three elected Caliphs 
equally with Ali, the others principally recruited 
among the Persians, regarded them as usurpers, 
and acknowledged only the son-in-law of the Proph- 
et as imdnjb^ or legitimate chief. They founded the 
sect of Alides or ImdmioMs ; that is to say, those 
who believe that there is always a sinless iradrri^ 
whose existence is absolutely necessary to maintain 
the order of the universe, that there is but one le- 
gitimate imam in the world as there is but one 
God in heaven, and that this dignity of imam, is in- 
herent in the race of Ali, chosen by God. This is 



24 THE MAHDI. 

the sect which is best known in Europe under the 
name which the orthodox party has given it of 
Shiites^ or sectarians. 

Among his adherents the worship of Ali speedily 
took on all the characteristics of a religion. He 
was in part divine ; he was not dead, but had as- 
cended to heaven; it was he who was seen in 
storms riding on the hurrying clouds; it was he 
whose voice was heard in thunder, and whose whip 
was seen to writhe in lightning flashes. It is said 
that even during his lifetime he was adored by 
some as the incarnation of the Deity. Some men 
exclaimed in his presence, " Thou art God !" Ali, 
indignant, and ignorant of his own divinity, had 
their heads cut off ; but the heads rolling on the 
earth continued to cry, "Ali, thou art God!" (11) 

Ali left two sons by Fatima, Hassan and Hus- 
sein : Hassan was poisoned by the Omeiades; Hus- 
sein, abandoned in the struggle by the partisans 
who had called him forth, was massacred at Kerbela 
with all his family after a heroic resistance and 
scenes of horror, the representation of which gave 
birth in Persia to a monotonous but admirable 
drama known to Europeans through the works of 
MM. de Gobineau and Chodzko (12), and which 
even now, every year, makes the most incredulous 
Persian weep with sorrow and rage. 



THE MAHDI. 35 

• The Omeiades might well triumph, besiege and 
sack the sacred towns Mecca and Medina, and bear 
the arms of Islam beyond the Oxus and the Indus, 
to the Caucasus and the Pyrenees ; but they were 
only masters de facto / there was no legitimate 
chief, no imam but of the race of Ali. However 
dark was the present, in the future from Ali must 
arise the Saviour, the Mahdi, for the sacred trust 
of the Prophet's blood had been given to Ali. The 
Zoroastrian Persians believed that the Saviour, 
Saoshyant, was to be born of the blood of their 
prophet Zoroaster. The converted Persians had 
only to change the proper names. They told how 
one day Ali had said to the Prophet : " O Prophet 
of God ! will the Mahdi be of our or of another 
family ?" and the Prophet had made answer : " Cer- 
tainly he will be of our own. It is through our 
agency that God will complete His work, just as it 
was through us that He commenced it" (13). 

The idea of the Mahdi once formed it circulated 
throughout the Mussulman world : we will follow 
it rapidly in its course among the Persians, the 
Turks, the Egyptians, and the Arabs of the Soudan ; 
but without for an instant pretending to pass in re- 
view all the Mahdis who have appeared upon the 
prophetic stage ; for their name is Legion. 



26 THE MAHDI. 



III. 

THE MAHDI IN PERSIA. FIRST PERIOD. 

Hussein, the second son of Ali and Fatima, left 
but one child, Ali, who was only ten years old — too 
young to serve as a rally ing-point for the disaf- 
fected. But by a wife other than Fatima, Ali had 
left another son, named "Mohammed, son of the 
Hanefite." He lived quietly at Mecca, far from 
the dangers of active life ; but all the hearts of the 
Alides turned towards him. An ambitious man 
named Mokhtar then rose in his name and took the 
title of " Lieutenant of the Mahdi," and thus for 
the first time the name Mahdi appeared in history 
only half a century after the death of the Prophet. 

This Mokhtar was a clever fellow, who in turn 
held in with all parties ; and to palliate his changes 
of opinion, invoked a dogma of his own invention, 
which is strongly to be recommended to political 
theologians — the dogma of the mutability of the 
Deity — according to which the intellectual activity 



THE MAHDI. 27 

of God is SO great that necessarily His ideas change 
every instant ; and, naturally, those who follow the 
inspirations of God ought — it is a sacred duty — to 
try and imitate these variations. He announced to 
his soldiers that if they grew faint in battle the 
angels would come to succor them in the form of 
birds ; and at a critical moment he had flights of 
pigeons set free, a stratagem which was marvel- 
lously successful. He had borne before his soldiers 
a seat bought at a bric-a-brac shop in Koufa, which 
he held up to the veneration of the faithful as 
being the seat of Ali, and which he said was to be 
for them what the Ark of the Covenant was for 
the children of Israel : with this palladium they 
would be invincible (14). 

Mohammed, feelinor that he would never be anv- 
thing but a puppet in the hands of this man, 
allowed him to act without protest. Mokhtar per- 
ished in spite of all his cunning, but none the less 
did Mohammed, without eifort of liis own, remain 
the Mahdi for his partisans. This, liowever, did 
not prevent his dying in his turn, although his fol- 
lowers refused to believe his death, and announced 
that he would return. 

This was the first invasion into Islam of an old 
myth familiar to Persian mythology which we shall 



28 THE MAHDI. 

meet again hereafter — the myth of a hero believed 
to be dead, but who, either hidden or asleep, awaits 
the time for his return. It is one of the favorite 
legends of Aryan, and more especially of Persian 
mythology, and has its origin in the nature-myth 
of the reappearance of the sun after it has been 
shrouded in night, or clouds. The brilliant hero 
wept as dead comes forth again triumphant, not 
having been dead but asleep. Hence when dark- 
ness is victorious there is the hope of a bright 
awakening. The God is not dead ; He sleeps and 
will wake again (15). 

Tales like this are in harmony with the imagina- 
tion of the people, which in face of present sorrows 
loves to see a glimmer of hope in the distant future. 
Among peoples tormented with a national dream it 
is the expectation of a new era. During how many 
centuries did the British Celts await the coming of 
Arthur, who was said to be resting in the Island of 
Avalon, where the fairy Morgain was healing his 
wounds, and who would leave it to drive away the 
Saxons from his land and conquer the world ? The 
Servians look for the return of Marko Kralievich, 
who sleeps in a cavern where God bore liim from 
the midst of a battle. There are few who will not 
recall the story of Frederick Bai'barossa and the 



THE MAHDI. 29 

Castle of Kaiserslautern ; and in 1870 tlie German 
poets exclaimed that Barbarossa had awakened, and 
that the withered tree had grown green again (16). 
In 1848, at the news of the Austrian defeats in 
Italy, the report arose that wlien only two soldiers 
should remain of tlie emperor's forces, the Subter- 
ranean Guest would reappear and, like a hurricane, 
sweep away tlie Italian army. In Portugal more 
than one old woman still tells how Doni Sebastian, 
with whom the greatness of the nation was ino^ulfed 
three centuries ago beneath the sands of Africa, has 
not really perished, but will soon return with a fleet 
from Brazil ; Dom Louis will abdicate at his coming, 
and the great days of Yasco di Gama will recom- 
mence. 

During many centuries the imagination of the 
Persians was busy with lesrends such as these. ISTo 

V CD 

other people has had so many heroes asleep and 
ready to reappear. 

The most illustrious was Keresaspa, a destroyer of 
demons, who after innumerable and marvellous ex- 
ploits was wounded in his sleep by the lance of a 
Turanian. But dead he still lives ; ninety-nine 
thousand nine hundred angels watch over his body 
in the plain of Kaboul. At the end of time, when 
the serpent Zohak, the incarnation of Ahriman, 



30 THE MAHDI. 

chained up by Feridun on the mountain Demavend, 
shall break asunder his chains and traverse the 
world in triumph, like the Christian Antichrist and 
the Mussulman Deddjal, Keresaspa will arise from 
his slumber to slay him with one fell blow. 

Besides Keresaspa there are many other immor- 
tals who await in the tomb the hour of the final 
struggle : Khumbya, Aghraeratha, and the com- 
panion s-in-arms of the king Kaikhosrav. 

Besides these there are heroes who have never 
died, but who wait in distant or invisible regions : 
Urvatatnara, the son of Zoroaster, who carried his 
father's law into the subterranean kingdom of 
Yima; Peshotanu, son of the king Gush tasp, whom 
Zoroaster caused to drink a cnp of saci*ed milk 
which rendered him immoi'tal. Such is the crowd 
which at the end of time will surround Saoshyant, 
the yet unborn son of Zoroaster, when he appears 
to kill Death and preside at the resurrection (17). 

When Mohammed, the son of Ali, the first 
Mahdi, had disappeared, and there was no possi- 
bility of doubt that he was beyond reach, the old 
mythology came to sustain the neo-Mussulmans in 
their new faith. The poets sang that he was hid- 
den for a time near Medina, in the valley of 
Radwa, where water and honey flow, waiting the 



THE MAHDI. 31 

day when he should reappear at the head of his 
horsemen preceded by the standard (18). Moham- 
med liimself, they said, had pointed out with his 
finger the pass among the mountains whence the 
Mahdi should come forth to gather together around 
liim armies as numerous as the flakes of vapor of 
wliich the clouds are formed ; and there were peo- 
ple who took up their abode at the favored spot, 
and died tliere waiting for him (19). 

The time of liis absence was fixed at seventy 
years, the period assigned by the Bible as that of 
the duration of human life. A frao^ment of one of 
these poems b}- a great poet of the time, the Him- 
yarite Seid (20), remains, and its cliaracter maj' be 
seen from the following few verses rendered ac- 
cording to the beautiful translation in French by 
M. Barbier de Mevnard : 



"O thou for whom T would give ray life, loDg is thy stay in 
this mountain! 

Sorely are we oppressed, we who implore thee, we who pro- 
claim thee Caliph and Im^m. 

All the nations of the earth reckon seventy years for the 
length of thine absence. 

No, the son of Khawlah (31) has not tasted the cup of death. 
The earth does not hide his remains. 

He watches in the depths of the valley Radwa, in the midst 
of the conversation of angels. . . . 



32 THE MAHDI. 

O valley of Badwa, what has become of him whom thou 
hidest from our eyes, and for the love of whom our 
minds are distracted? 

How long shall our waiting last, O son of the Prophet; thou 
who livest nourished by God?" (22). 

While the people were waiting for the return of 
Mohammed, Hussein's son, the grandchild of Ali, 
was growing up. The dead cannot long hold their 
ground against the living, and the mass of the 
Alides abandoned the invisible itnam for him who 
was present and visible. He was poisoned. His 
son Mohammed succeeded him in the veneration of 
tlie Alides, but met a similar fate to that of his 
father. Poison was the temporal consecration of the 
imams. Zeid, a younger brother of Mohammed, 
then proclaimed himself Mahdi, and raised the 
standard of revolt. He perished, and the Caliph had 
his naked body strung up to a gibbet, and insulted 
it through his poets, who said, " We have fastened 
your Zeid to the trunk of a palm-tree ; I have never 
seen a Mahdi hanging on a gibbet before" (23). 



THE MAHDI. 33 



THE MAHDI IN PERSIA. SECOND PERIOD. 

The days of tlie Omeiades were numbered. Af- 
ter a century of power they disappeared in a mo- 
ment before tlie Abbassides; the whole royal 
family, eighty persons in all, invited to a banquet 
given ostensibly for purposes of reconciliation, were 
strangled by their enemies, who held a triumphant 
oro:ie over their dead bodies. The Alides then 
began to breathe again, and thought their chance 
had come, for it had been with their support and in 
their name that the Abbassides had struggled, and 
naturally they believed this triumph to be a victory 
for themselves. 

They were, however, speedily and cruelly disa- 
bused of their confidence. The Abbassides, like 
themselves, belonged to the family of Mahomet, be- 
ing descended from Abbas, the Prophet's uncle. 
As long as the struggle had lasted they liad con- 
cealed their personal pretensions, and given them- 



34 THE MAHDI. 

selves out to be the avengers of Ali and his sons ; 
they had wrought up the fanaticism of the Alides 
to a pitch of terrible excitement, and thus caused 
Persia to side with them ; throughout the empire 
they had sent missionaries to stir up the burning 
memory of the scenes of Kerbela, who had thrown 
Mussulman Persia into an ecstasy of grief at the 
Passion of Ali and his sons, the divine martyrs. 
These emissaries made their dupes swear fidelity to 
a Caliph of the family of the Prophet without men- 
tioning his name. Their chief agent and execu- 
tioner was a man from Eastern Persia, named Abu- 
Muslim, who had formerly been a saddler by trade. 
He was a stern and cruel fanatic, one of those men 
who, in the words of a poet of the time, never drank 
water unmixed wdth blood. 

As the star of the Omeiades sank, the Abbassides 
began gradually to throw the Alides into the shade. 
Were they not also of the race of the Prophet? 
and to enforce their claims they spread a report that 
the first Mahdi, Mohammed, the son of the Hanefite, 
had duly transmitted his rights to one of their an- 
cestors (24); they forged new traditions, apocryplial 
words attributed to Mahomet, who naturally was 
not in a position to disclaim them. They afiirmed 
that Mahomet had said one day to his uncle Abbas, 



THE MAHDI. 35 

" In ye shall rest prophecy and sovereignty." An- 
other day he had said plainly to him, " Thou art 
the Father of the Caliphs amongst whom shall 
he Al Mahdi, and amongst whom shall be one 
who shall pray together with Jesus, the son of 
Mary, O uncle, dost thou not know that Al Mahdi 
shall be of thy descendants, the prospered of God, 
happy and approved ?" (25). Thus when the Alides 
were preparing to mount the throne left vacant 
by tlie Omeiades, they found their avengers block- 
ing the way to it. The principal captains of the 
Abbassides were AHdes, who had thought they were 
laboring for the descendants of Ali. These were 
got rid of one by one. 

Abu-Muslini went to rejoin the six hundred 
thousand victims which lie is said to liave slain 
with his own hand. His fall was brous^ht about by 
a letter that he sent to the Caliph Almansor, and 
which ran as follows : 

•'I had a guide of the family of the Prophet, 

who was to teach me the doctrines and the duties 

prescribed by God. I thought that in him I had 

found knowledge; but he led me astray even by 

the aid of the Koran itself, which he falsified by his 

love for the wealth of this world. He bade me in 

the name of God draw my sword, banish every 
3 



36 THE MAHDI. 

feeling of pity from my heart, accept no justifica- 
tion from my adversaries, and pardon no error. 
All this have I done. I prepared for you the way 
to power, for I did not know you ; but now God 
has led me from my error — now I know you only 
too well ; now I regret and am penitent. May God 
pardon all the wrongs I have committed ; but if 
He does not pardon me, if He punishes me, I must 
still acknowledge that He is righteous" (26). 

To so great an extent was it the ancient Persian 
mythology which inspired the movement of the 
Alides, that Abu-Muslim found an avenger in Sin- 
bad, a priest of fire, belonging to an ancient Persian 
Zoroastrian sect, the sect of Mazdak. He went 
about proclaiming that Abu-Mnslim was not dead, 
that at the moment of execution he had invoked 
the supreme and secret name of God, and had es- 
caped from the hands of Almansor, flying away in 
the form of a white dove. He had retired to a 
castle made of copper in the company of the Mahdi, 
who would soon leave it with him, with Mazdak for 
his Yizier. It took seven years of fierce warfare to 
put an end to Sinbad (27). 

Yery soon Abu-Muslim, growing more and more 
in importance after his death, from precursor of 
the Mahdi, came to be regarded as himself an in- 



THE MAHDI. 37 

carnation of the divinity. His apostle and suc- 
cessor was liis former secretaiy, a working fuller, 
who was called the Veiled Prophet (28), ElMo- 
canna^ because he wore a veil ostensibly so that he 
should not dazzle mortal eyes by the splendor of 
liis divine light, really to hide a horrible wound 
which had disfigured him. lie taught that God 
had appeared nine times in human form. Adam, 
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Mahomet, Ali, and the Son 
of the Hanefite had been the first seven incarna- 
tions. He had afterwards appeared with the feat- 
ures of Abu-Muslim; and now He at the same time 
revealed and veiled Himself in the person of El- 
Mocanna. By the aid of miracles, that is to say, of 
conjuring tricks, of which he was past master, the 
Veiled Prophet of Khorassan came to be regarded 
as divine. Three armies sent out against him were 
destroyed ; but at last, surrounded and at bay, he 
set fire to his fortress and disappeared like an arch- 
angel in the flames. Centuries afterwards he still 
had worshippers (29). 

The Abbassides might easily have turned this 
stream of relisjious mania to their own advantao^e. 
Among the soldiers of Abu-Muslim were three 
thousand men from Khorassan, the Ravandis, who 
discovered one fine day that the God whom they 



38 THE MAHDI. 

sought on earth was that very Caliph Almansor 
whom thej had placed on the throne ; moreover, 
that the soul of Adam had passed into his captain 
of the guards, and the Angel Gabriel into the pre- 
fect of the city. 

Each time they saw Almansor they prostrated 
themselves, saying, " Eehold God ; he has in him a 
portion of God." He was recommended to put 
them to death as heretics, but he replied wittily 
enough: '*! would rather see them in hell and 
faithful to me, than that they should revolt and go 
to heaven." One day they began to w^alk round the 
palace like the pilgrims at Mecca walk round the 
Caaba; they interfered with traffic, and Almansor, 
who was in a bad temper that day, had them put in 
prison, and forbade their assembling under pain of 
death. Thej^, however, gathered together, and de- 
cided that that portion of God which had entered 
into him had left him, that God had cursed him, 
and that he must be killed so that the Deity might 
enter into some one else. Tliej^ marched to the 
palace, and almost took it .by a coujp de main ; but 
the devotion of a servant saved the Caliph's life and 
his crown (30). 

After a ray of hope the road to martyrdom again 
lay open before the Alides. The second Caliph 



THE MAHDI. 30 

Almansor had given his son and heir the name of u- 
Mahdi, as a protest against tlieir claims; but an 
empty title was not enongh to reduce tlie legitimate 
Jieirs to silence. Two Alides, brothers, Mohammed 
and Ibrahim, rose at the same time, one in Arabia 
and the other on the banks of the Euphrates. Both 
perished. The Alides had only changed execu- 
tioners ; but the executioners belonged to the 
family, and that made all the difference. The sister 
of Mohammed, when she heard of his death, ex- 
claimed in a joyful tone : " God be praised that he 
did not flee, and did not fall alive into their hands. 
He was killed like his father, his uncles, and his 
ancestors" (31). 

The head of the family of the Alides, the legiti- 
mate Imam Jafar, who was alive at the fall of the '^ 
Omeiades, had died by poison like his predecessors; 
liis successor, the seventh Imam, Musa, was poi- 
soned in liis turn by the Caliph of Arahian Nights' 
celebrity, Haroun al Rasliid. 



Under the eighth Imam, AH Riza, a sudden 
change seemed about to take place. The Caliph 
was Almamun, a strange man. He was a liberal 
inasmuch as he sent orthodox people to the gal- 



40 THE MAHDI. 

lows, a form of liberalism bj no means rare — in the 
East. IS^ow on reflection this Caliph began to have 
doubts as to tlie legality of the power of the Abbas- 
sides; hence arose the remarkable spectacle of one 
of the Abbassides who actually sided with the 
Alides. His scruples did not lead him so far as to 
abdicate himself, but he disinherited his sons, de- 
clared Ali Riza as his successor, and replaced the 
black banner of the Abbassides by the green stan- 
dard of the Alides (32). 

The Caliph's family and the army of his func- 
tionaries on this threatened to revolt, and Alma- 
mun got himself out of the difficulty by the simple 
means of poisoning his protege. The place where 
the Imam perished, Meshhed, is to the present day 
the great resort for Persian pilgrims (33). 

The three Imams, Mohammed, Ali, and Hassan, 
next succeeded from father to son, and each of 
these theoretical rulers of the Moslem world perish- 
ed in turn by poison (34). Hassan the eleventh 
left a son, Mohammed, who at the time of his 
father's death was six years old. The Caliph kept 
this child a prisoner near his own" person, in the 
town of Hillah ; but at the age of twelve years he 
disappeared, probably also by the agency of poison. 

The direct line of Imams was therefore broken 



THE MAHDI. 41 

for ever ; there was no longer hope of a Malidi. 
But the logic of the people of course drew the con- 
clusion that the child was not dead but hidden, and 
that he would return when he chose, being the 
Master of Time. Persian engravings* represent 
him with the features of a child, holding the sacred 
book in his hand, seated in a grotto into which rays 
of light are penetrating (35). 

For a long time there were members of the 
family of Ali who awoke every day with the hope 
of witnessing the reappearance of the twelfth Imam, 
the last lineal descendant of Fatima, whom they 
called the exjpected Fatimide. " They go forth 
from their villages on horseback and armed," says a 
contemporary ; " thus accoutred they go to meet 
their Imam ; they return deceived in their hopes, 
but not discouraged" (36). 

At Hillah, near Bagdad, the last place where he 
was seen, a mosque was erected, over the door of 
which Imng a silken curtain. This was where he 
dwelt, in the holy of holies ; it was "the sanctuar}^ 
of the Master of the Hour." Every day after the 
midday prayer, a hundred horsemen, sword in 



* A copy of one of these appears as the frontispiece of this 
volume. 



42 THE MAHDT. 

hand, went to receive from the commander of the 
town a horse which was saddled and bridled, and 
which they led to the sanctuary with sound of 
trumpets and drums. When arrived at the door 
they cried out, " In the name of God, O Master 
of the Hour, in the name of God, come forth ! 
For corruption has appeared and great is wrong- 
doing." And they continued thus to appeal to 
him to the sound of trumpets until the time of 
evening prayer (37). The Mahdi, however, did 
not come forth. 

At last, in the sixteenth century, the Alides gained 
the upper hand in Persia. A sheikh, who pro- 
claimed himself to be a descendant of Musa, the 
seventh Imam, founded the last great national 
dynasty of Persia, the dynasty of the great Sufi. 
But the Sufis, though Alides by birth, only regard- 
ed tliemselves as lieutenants of the Imam, the pro- 
visional administrators of Iran. As long as the 
Imam was absent they were only rulers owing to 
accident. Thus the Snfi did not call himself 
"King of kings," but "Slave of the king of the 
country," and even still more humbly, "The w\atch- 
dog at the gate of Ali." The true king of Iran 
was the absent Mahdi (38). In their palace at 
Ispahan the Sufis always kept two horses magnifi- 



THE MAHDI. 43 

cently harnessed, ready to receive him when lie 
should deign to take once more the reins of gov- 
ernment. One of these horses was for the Mahdi, 
the other for liis h'eiitenant, Jesus Christ (39). 



44 THE MAHDI. 



V. 

THE MAHDI IN AFRICA. 

Hitherto we have remained in the East, and 
have only witnessed tlie deceptions and checks suf- 
fered by the Mahdi. Let us now turn to the West, 
and observe some of his triumphs. 

Two Mahdis, one in the tenth century in Egypt, 
the other in the twelfth century in Morocco, found- 
ed dynasties which have left their name in history 
— the first was that of the Fatimides, one of the 
most glorious dynasties of Islam, which lasted three 
centuries ; the second was that of the Almohades, 
the conquerors of Spain. 

In consequence of intestine quarrels among the 
Alides, a powerful sect left the Imamians. This 
was the sect called Ismaelis, whence came later that 
sect w^ell known in the history of France, the Assas- 
sins, or the Old Man of the Mountain (40). A 
Persian oculist named Abdallah, the son of Mei- 
moun (41). sworn enemy of the Arabs, took the 



THE MAHDI. 45 

post of leader of the party of which he made a 
purely philosophical sect, destroying the letter of 
the Koran by allegorical interpretations. 

So as to work more easily on the credulity of the 
people, he pretended that he came of the race of 
Ali, and sent missionaries to Arabia and Africa to 
preach the new law, and announce the coming of 
the Mahdi. The Mahdi delayed, but came at last 
in the person of his grandson, Obeid- Allah. 

Obeid-Allah laid claim to Northern Africa, where 
the Berbers bore the yoke of the Arabs and of or- 
thodoxy with impatience, and where the missionary 
of the new sect, Abu-Abdallah, had preached with 
marvellous success, both by word and sword. He 
announced that the Mahdi was about to appear, to 
subjugate the earth, revive the dead, and make the 
sun rise from the loest (42). The Mahdi coming at 
the call of his apostle was arrested at Tripoli and 
thrown into prison by the governor of the Aghla- 
bites, the local dynasty, vassal of the Caliph of Bag- 
dad ; nevertheless his lieutenant continued a tri- 
umphal march, expelled the Aghlabite prince and, 
in the absence of the captive Mahdi, proclaimed 
God as regent. 

For several months the coinage, instead of bearing 
the name of a king, was stamped with these words : 



46 THE MAHDI. 

" I have accomplished the testimony of God ; may 
the enemies of God be scattered ;" on all weapons 
he had ene^raved : '' Arms with which to fio^ht in 
the cause of God ;" and on the harness of horses : 
"To God belongs the kingdom." Having thus 
enthroned the Deity during this interregnum, he 
marched on the town where His terrestrial repre- 
sentative was imprisoned, delivered him, made him 
mount on horseback, and marching before him with 
the chiefs of the tribes, said to the people with 
tears of joy : " Behold your master." On the Fri- 
da}^ following he had his name proclaimed in public 
prayer wdtli the title of " Mahdi, prince of true be- 
lievers." 

The Mahdi up till that time had only been a pas- 
sive conqueror, but he soon began to show that he 
could be active also. He began by having Abu- 
Abdallah assassinated. " Stop, my son !" exclaimed 
Abu-Abdallah, seizing the arm. of his murderer; 
the man replied, '^ He whom you have enjoined us 
to obey has ordered us to slay you." Abu-Abdallah 
had only succeeded too well in his work as apostle. 
To show that he was not ungrateful, the Mahdi him- 
self recited the prayers for the dead over the corpse 
of his benefactor. 

Some people still doubted Obeid-Allah ; the sun 



THE MAHDI. 47 

was against him, and witli sceptical obstinacy con- 
tinued to rise in the east ; then the Mahdi had 
shown perfectly well that he was able to kill, but 
had not yet demonstrated that he could revive the 
dead. One day a sheikh dared to say to him, " If 
you are the Mahdi, perform a miracle, for we doubt i 
very much whether you are what you give yourself 
out to be." The Mahdi replied by having his head 
cut off. It was not a miracle, but it is extremely 
doubtful whether any miracle could have served 
better to shut the mouth of the incredulous ! 

The Mahdi required a capital, but he did not care 
to occupy either Tunis or Kairoan, as there were too 
many Arabs in both places, and he did not feel safe 
among them. He traversed the coast of Tunis and 
reached a peninsula which had the foi'm of a closed 
fist. There, after having consulted the stars as to a 
favorable day and hour, he laid the foundation-stone 
of a city over which the French flag floats to-day, 
but which still bears the name he gave — Mahdia — 
the City of the Mahdi. 

He surrounded it with a strong wall, with gates 
of iron, each leaf of which weighed five hundred- 
weight. In the hill he had an arsenal constructed 
which could contain a hundred galleys, and when 
the town was finished, he cried : " Now I am reas- 



48 THE MAHDI. 

sured as to the fate of the Fatimides. T have built 
this town so that they may take refuge here for a 
short time." 

To his mind, Mahdia was, in verj^ fact, only a pro- 
visional shelter: the Mahdi's hopes were turned 
eastward to Egypt. "When the walls of his town had 
reached their full height, he mounted to the top and 
fired an arrow towards the west. Soon after his 
dominion extended to the Atlantic. Then it had to 
be established on the shores of the Nile. His third 
successor, Moez-lidin-Allah, sent a Greek slave, Jau- 
her, to conquer Egypt and build a capital city, 
which he called " The Victorious" Cairo (El Kahira). 
Syria soon experienced the fate of Egypt ; and even 
the seat of the Caliphat was for a short time in the 
hands of the descendant of the Persian oculist, and 
his name resounded in the Salvum fac at Bagdad 
instead of that of the Abbassides. 

The Caliphs of Bagdad made war against their 
fortunate rivals of Cairo with the pen and with all 
the weapons of theologj^, making their sages declare 
that the pretended descendant of Ali was really the 
son of a Magus and of a Jewess ; but the day when 
the Egyptian Ulemas received Moez and asked him 
for proofs of his lineage, he easily convinced them 
by two arguments. Holding the pommel of his 



THE MAHDI. 49 

sword ill his hand, he exclaimed : " This is my an- 
cestor !" and throwing them a liandful of gold, he 
said, " Here are my proofs "(43). 

Nevertheless, credulity wore itself out in time. 
The Prophet had not declared that the Mahdi was 
to become a source of terrestrial kings — he was to 
have come to announce God. God must come, and 
so the seventh Fatimide, Hakim, became God. 
This Hakim was a sort of raving madman, by turns 
a bigoted Mussulman and a downright atheist, ac- 
cording to the theological caprice of the moment, 
and according to whether he subscribed to the letter 
of the Koran or to the symbolical interpretation 
known only to those initiated in the highest degree. 
A Persian secretary named Darazi came to preach 
to him that he was the Divine incarnation, and 
Hakim believed it without having to be asked to do 
so twice ; but, wonderful to relate. Hakim was not 
the only person who believed in Hakim; quite a 
church formed about this God in the flesh, and 
when he suddenly disappeared, three years after his 
apotheosis, having probably been assassinated, his 
followers announced that he would reappear in 
human form on the day of resurrection to pass his 
judgments by the sword. He was to appear en- 
veloped as in a veil, with a multitude of angels, 



60 THE MAHDI. 

among squadrons of cherubims. His arrival was to 
be preceded by a great tumult in the land of Egypt, 
by the apparition of an impostor at Cairo (Arabi 
Pasha ?), by earthquakes (those in Spain ?), by the 
triumph of the Christians, and by the derision into 
which religion shall have fallen. 

" When ye see among you faith become rare," 
cried one of the apostles, " pious men overwhelm- 
ed with injuries and outrages ; when religion shall 
be, against the will of those who have remained 
faithful to it, a subject for mirth in the mouths of 
the impure ; when it shall be treated as a paring of 
the nails to be flung far away ; when the earth, 
great as it is, shall seem too small for the disciples 
of truth, who cannot find in it a place of safety ; 
then may ye speedily, O ye dregs of the nations, 
expect to hear the cry which will be the signal for 
your defeat ! O ye remnant of the worshippers of 
the calf and of idols !" (44). 

The worship of Hakim did not survive its god in 
Egypt ; but it has lived on to the present day in the 
mountains of Syria. There Darazi left disciples 
who assumed his name, and the descendants of 
whom we now call the Druzes, who still wait the 
return of Hakim, the Man-god. 

The Berbers of Constantine and Tunis had their 



THE MAHDI. 51 

Mahdi at the time of the founder of the Fatimides ; 
two centuries later came one to the Berbers of 
Morocco. A man of the tribe of Masmuda, in the 
Morocceen Atlas, named Mohammed ibn Tumert, 
returned from the pilgrimage to Mecca and the 
schools of Bagdad with a half-pantheistic system 
which he called the system of Unity, or ahnohade 
ialmiivahhid) system. At first he was only a saint 
(they all begin in this way), so severe and so chaste 
in his habits that he easily persuaded the Barbers 
that he belonged to a different species from them- 
selves. 

He soon announced the coming of the Mahdi, 
and it was eagerly expected. IText he affirmed 
that he himself was the Mahdi, and he was believed 
Miracles were demanded: he performed them. 
For example, he made angels speak from the bot- 
tom of a well, and pronounce sentence of death 
against his enemies, who were immediately exe- 
cuted by his followers. Then, without losing time, 
he had the well filled up to guard its sanctity from 
possible pollution in the future, and to prevent any 
indiscretion on the part of his angels. 

The Mahdi died before having reaped the fruits 
of his miracles ; his disciple and successor, Abd-al- 
Mumin, profited by them, and after having inun- 



52 THE MAHDI. 

dated Morocco with a torrent of Berbers, passed 
into Spain, which he also conquered; hence the 
dynasty of the Ahnohades under which, during the 
whole of the twelfth century, Spain was subjected 
to a wild orthodoxy unknown during the Arab 
rule. Averroes had to go into exile. " In our 
country," said a sage of the time with much pride, 
" not the slightest heresy is tolerated ; we will have 
no church, no synagogue" (45). 

The Almohades succumbed in their turn ; but 
the Mahdi fever continued to rage among the 
Berbers ; it was epidemic throughout the thirteenth 
century. He was sought at the extremities of the 
habitable world. At Massa, on the Atlantic coast 
of Morocco, there was a celebrated convent or rihat / 
not far from there dwelt the tribe of Guedala, the 
men of which covered their faces with a veil called 
the litham^ which only allowed the eyes to appear, 
and is still worn by the Tuaregs. The idea arose 
that it was thence, and from among this veiled 
people, that the hidden Imam, the long-expected 
Mahdi, would come forth, and that in the convent 
his inauguration would take place (46). More than 
one aspirant came to the ribat to leave it Mahdi 
and perish immediately (47). It is said that at the 
present moment there is still one waiting there (48.) 



THE MAHDI. 53 



VI. 



THE MAHDI IN TURKEY. 

After the Persians and the Berbers let us turn 
to the Turks. 

The Turks were not Alides ; being the heirs of 
the Caliplis of Bagdad, they were and still are 
fanatically orthodox. A passionate hatred raged 
between the Persian Shiites and the Turkisli Sun- 
nites. They also believed that the Mahdi was to 
appear at the end of time supported by three hun- 
dred and sixty lieavenly spirits, "The men of God, 
the Ridjal Allah^'' to summon all the peoples of 
the earth to the knowledge of Islam ; but they took 
their precautions against him, for they knew very 
well that they were not of the blood of Mahomet, 
that tliey were interlopers in the Caliphat, and had 
only entered it by main force. Hence they sought 
to isolate the Mahdi from the world, and cut every 
bond between him and the human race. The thirty- 
fourth article of the Turkish creed was that " tlie 



54 THE MAHDI. 

Imam ouglit to be visible, that lie must not hide 
from the public gaze, nor be the object of its expec- 
tation " (49). In Turkey, therefore, there was no 
room for a hidden Imam, an absent Hakim, or an 
'' expected Fatimide." They have declared quite 
recently, as we shall presently see, that the Mahdi 
can only appear in a time of interregnum, when the 
Caliph has died without an acknowledged successor, 
a very conservative theory and a most reassuring 
one for the Sultan on the throne. But when people 
will have a Messiah, not all the sermons of all the 
theologists in the world will prevent them from 
manufacturing one (50). 

The most celebrated of Turkish Malidis made his 
appearance in 1666, under Mohammed TV.- — the 
Sultan who very nearly took Yienna. That year 
there was a Messianic eruption, which began among 
the Jews. The Cabala announced the arrival of the 
Messiah for that year; he apj^eared at the appointed 
time. He was a young man from Smyrna, of ex- 
treme personal beauty, very eloquent, and inspired, 
to all seeming, with divine fervor; his name was 
Sabbatai Zevi. All the Turkish rabbis acknowl- 
edged him, and proselytes came to him from Ger- 
many, Amsterdam, and London; the kingdom of 
l94*ael was about to be re-established, the reign of 



THE MAHDI. 65 

God to commence, and the New Jerusalem to 
descend upon earth. 

The Mussuhnan world also was stirred. The 
arrival of the Mahdi was to be preceded and an- 
nounced by that of the Antichrist, of the false 
prophet Deddjal ; hence as the Jewish Messiah had 
come the Mahdi would soon appear. An eclipse of 
the moon, wliich stopped the troops who were ready 
to embark for Crete, proved that the time had come, 
and then it was suddenly announced that the Mahdi 
liad appeared. This was the son of a Kurdistan 
sheikh who had put himself at the head of some 
thousands of Kurds ; but he was taken and sent to 
the Sultan. The Sultan was hunting when the 
Mahdi was presented to him. He questioned him, 
and the young man, renouncing his part, answered 
with such good grace that the Sultan was delighted 
with him and retained him as page. 

Some time afterwards Sabbatai being denounced 
as an impostor by a rabbi whose proffered services 
as vicar of the Messiah he had refused, had also to 
be summoned before the Sultan, and, to the great 
scandal of his followers, was obliged to employ an 
interpreter in order to answer the questions put to 
him ; emotion had apparently made him lose the 
supernatural knowledge of all tongues which he 



56 THE MAHDI. 

ought to liave possessed. Matters became worse 
when the Sultan had him stripped and bound to a 
target, and offered himself to become a convert if 
the arrows shot at him should leave his body scath- 
less. Sabbatai declined the ordeal, accepted the 
turban,* and obtained a post as one of the warders 
of the harem. Thus the Sultan had the honor of 
being served by the Antichrist as doorkeeper, and 
the Mahdi as valet. In spite of this protection, 
however, he was strangled by his janissaries a few 
years later according to Ottoman custom (51). 

* To put on the turban is the sign of conversion to the faith 
of Islam.— A. S. B. 



THE MAHDI. 67 



YII. 

THE MAHDI IN EGYPT. 

We may pass over the eigliteentli century, which 
was not very fertile in Mahdis. The Mahdi slept 
in the East just as Christ slept in the West ; he 
awoke in Egypt at the French conquest in May, 
1Y99. It is not likely that this Mahdi belongs to 
the old Alide movement of Fatimite Egypt, for he 
was supported by Turkey, wliich supplied him with 
English money. This Mahdi, whose I'eal name is 
unknown, seems to have been one of the most de- 
cided impostors of his kind. He came from Tripoli, 
where he had descended from heaven ; his descent, 
however, was made in the desert, so that the miracle 
had but few spectators. He was very lavish with 
liis money — money which had also fallen from 
heaven, but which, curiously enough, was marked 
with the Sultan's stamp. His body, although visi- 
ble, was immaterial. Every day at the hour of 
prayer before the assembled people he dipped his 



68 THE MAHDI. 

fingers into a bowl of milk, and passed tliem across 
liis lips ; this was all the nourishment he took. At 
Damanhour he surprised and slaughtered sixty men 
belonging to the navy ; and by throwing a little 
dust towards the French guns he prevented the 
powder from exploding, and caused the balls to fall 
harmless before the true believers. But Lefebvre, 
the French Brigadier-General, marched against him 
with four hundred men. "Assailed by a cloud of 
Arabs," wrote Bonaparte in a report to the Direc- 
tory, "he ranged his men in a square, and all day 
long he continued killing the madmen who threw 
themselves upon our cannon, unable to rid them- 
selves of the delusion under which they labored. It 
was not till night that these fanatics, when they 
counted their dead (there were more than a thou- 
sand) and their wounded, began to understand that 
God no longer performs miracles'^ (52). 

When his alarmed and shocked partisans showed 
him their dead and wounded, the Mahdi replied that 
only those are invulnerable who have an entire 
faith. Apparently he himself was not one of these, 
for in a skirmish a ball which laid him dead marked 
him out as an unbeliever ; but his more faithful 
followers concluded that he had considered it better 
to fight from the heights of heaven whence he had 



THE MAHDI. 59 

come, and they looked for his return. He did not 
return, but the Frencli went away, wliich amounted 
to very much the same thing, and vindicated the 
lienor of the Mahdi. 



eO THE MAHDI. 



YIII. 

THE MAHDI IN THE SOUDAN. 

We have now reached the Malidi of Soudan 
celebrity. The time has not yet come to write his 
liistory, for he has first to accomphsh and end it. 
Concerning the man personally we have only two 
authentic documents. One is the letter of a French- 
man born in the Soudan, who saw him at Khartoum 
— M. Mousa Peney, son of Dr. Peney, one of the 
bravest of explorers in the Soudan, the first Euro- 
pean who had ever visited Gondokoro. Tlie only 
fault to find with this is that it sometimes sins on 
the side of over-precision (53). The other, which 
dives into the verv souls of the heroes of the drama, 
is the report of a consultation of thewUlemas of El 
Azhar Mosque at Cairo, of which M. Clermont 
Ganneau, the well-known Orientalist, has kindly 
communicated his own translation to the author. 
The following is derived from these two sources: 

The name of the Mahdi is Mohammed Ahmed. 
He was born at Dongola, about the year of the 










■*^. 



»<»-""«^ ..-.»-•"" 



■■^, 



The Mahdi. 



THE MAHDI. 61 

Hesrira 1260, 1843 of our era. His father's name 
was Abdallalii, and his mother's Amiiia (54). 

These details, of little apparent significance to us, 
are of the greatest importance to Mussulmans. A 
tradition, which is really very ancient and attributed 
to Mahomet, declares that the Mahdi shall bear the 
same name as the Prophet, and that the father of 
the Mahdi shall have the same name as the Prophet's 
father (55). Now, the Prophet's name was Moham- 
med Ahmed, his father's Abdallah, and, what is 
more, his mother was called Amina. Forty years is 
the age of prophecy among the Mussulmans, be- 
cause it was at that age that Mahomet revealed 
himself. 

The Mahdi's name and those of his parents seem 
to point to the fact that lie was born in the midst of 
people disposed to fervor and prophecy, an heredi- 
tary genius. Moreover, from his childhood, Mo- 
hammed showed that he had a decided vocation; 
at twelve years old he knew the Koran by heart. 
When his father died, his two elder brothers, who 
were boat-builders on the White Nile, seeing that 
he had talent, supplied his wants, and provided him 
with means to study under two professors of repute 
in the neighborhood of Khartoum, Abdel Dagim 
and El Gourachi. 



62 THE MAHDI. 

When twenty-five years old, having finislied his 
studies, and his motlier being dead, he settled down 
near the place where his brothers worked, in the 
Island of Aba, a little island then unknown, but now 
historical in Europe and sacred in Africa. Tliere 
he lived in a very retired way for fifteen years, the 
fifteen years which Mahomet had spent in medita- 
tion near Mount Harra. His career was evidently 
foreshadowed by that of the Prophet. Strauss says 
that the life of Jesus is a projection cast by the 
popular imaginatiQn from the ancient prophecies of 
Israel. The life of the Malidi is a patent illustra- 
tion of this theory, the Mahdi being but the living 
reflection of Mahomet. 

He lived in a hole in the ground, and grew thin 
from privations and frequent fasting, continually 
mourning over the corruption of men. The neigh- 
boring tribe of Beggaras, the most powerful in this 
region of the l^ile, venerated him as a saint, and 
felt assured that the breath of God was upon him ; 
so when the hour of prophecy was told, and the 
fortieth year began, when he rose up Mahdi, the 
Beggaras without any difficulty passed from venera- 
tion to adoration, and he became that phenomenon 
— ^a prophet in his own country. 

Moreover, was not the fatal year approaching, the 



THE MAHDI. 63 

year 1300 of the Hegira, which a modern tradition 
assigns for the final triumph of Islam ? Mohammed 
sent out numbers of missionaries to the sheikhs of 
the various tribes, announcing that he > was the long- 
expected Mahdi, that Mahomet had come from God 
to tell him tliat the Turkish dominion was about to 
end, that the Soudan was to rise on every side, and 
that he himself, after having passed the necessary 
time in the Soudan, was to go up to Mecca to be 
acknowledged by the great Sheriff. 

His emissaries had been preaching these things 
for about a year without anything being known of 
them at Khartoum, although it was only three days' 
journey from the sacred island. Raouf Pacha, the 
Governor-General, when at last he was informed of 
the true state of affairs, sent two hundred men to 
Aba to seize the Mahdi. Overtaken by rain and 
sinking into deep mud at each step, in the depths 
of the forest, the men, it is said, at last arrived at 
midnight at the hut of the Prophet, round which 
a band of dervishes were dancing, repeating the 
sacred name of Allah. 

The adjutant-major tired and killed one of the 
dervishes, and immediatel}^ the whole band howling 
with rage fell upon the soldiers, their cries being 
repeated by thousands of Arabs who had established 



64 THE MAHDI. 

themselves in the forest. In a few seconds the 
whole troop, including its officers, was cut to 
pieces. This was the first spark of the great fire 
which is now raging in the basin of the Nile. It 
was in August, 1881. 

The Mahdi, retiring with his dervishes to Mount 
Gadir, commenced new efforts. The Soudan began 
to be affected. The temporary governor, the Ba- 
varian Giegler Pacha, concentrated the garrisons of 
Sennaar, Fachoda, and Kordofan, with the view of 
leading them against the Mahdi, not for a moment 
imagining that the provinces whicli he left ungar- 
risoned by this step would immediately revolt. 

Seven thousand men sent to Mount Gadir were at- 
tacked by fifty thousand insurgents, commanded by 
the Mahdi's two brothers, Mohammed and Hamed. 
The two brothers perished, but of the Egyptian 
army only one hundred and fifty men escaped. 

During this time Sennaar revolted, and El-Obeid 
fell into the hands of the Mahdi, v/ho made it his 
capital on the 17th of January, 1883. On the 5th 
of November, in the same year, the army marching 
to the rescue under Hicks Pacha was destroyed, or 
went over to the camp of the Mahdi. We know 
what followed. ' 



THE MAHDI. 65 



IX. 

MOHAMMED AHMED AND HIS RIVALS. 

Many explanations of the success of the Mahdi 
have been sought. Some say he is a genius. Per- 
liaps he is ; but that is not in itself sufficient. He 
really does not seem to be an ordinarv man. A deep 
and sincere conviction is required to act upon the 
masses as he has done, more especially as he does 
not rely upon the magic of mystery, but shows him- 
self to all. When his quarters were at El-Obeid, 
the Irishman O'Kelly remarks (56), he went to the 
mosque, in the midst of the crowd, liis sandals on 
his feet, and his whole dress consisting of a shirt 
and drawers made of coarse cloth.* 

His strategy is elementary, but it is that which 
the country requires: no assaults on fortified towns, 
which are merely to be surrounded until famine 
opens their gates; no great battles, but a constant 

* See Note 69 and Appendix A. — A. S. B. 



66 THE MAHDT. 

liarassing of the enemy, sniTounding liim from a dis- 
tance, then, when he is exhausted, swooping down 
on liim with all forces united to make an end of 
the affair. 

Whether he follows the advice of European ad- 
venturers or acts on his own opinions, the success 
with which he has met has justified his plan of 
warfare up till the present. Two facts seem to in- 
dicate that he is relatively honest and humane;* he 
performs few miracles (5Y), and he makes prisoners 
(58). 

Recent news from the seat of war indicates that 
he is a cultivated specimen of Mussulman politician. 
The messengers sent by him to neutral or hostile 
tribes, to summon them to join him on pain of 
extermination, are accompanied by Ulemas charged 
to convince them of the mission of the Mahdi, and 
of the supreme duty to join him which is incum- 
bent on them. Many who are insensible or re- 

*Tlns latter epithet can however hardly be applied to some 
of his followers. The special correspondent of The Lancet 
writing from the base - hospital camp near Siiakin, under 
date March 23d, 1885, after describing the character of the 
wounds inflicted on our soldiers, said: "No man unhorsed in 
tight ever escapes the fury of these ruffians, nor lives to tell 
the tale of a hand-to-hand encounter with their active and 
brave but relentless foes." (See Lancet, April 11.) — A. S. B. 



THE MAHDI. 67 

bellious to threats come from the theological dis- 
cussion ready to die the death of martyrs to his 
cause. The tribal jealousies which counterbalance 
hatred of Christianity will weigh light in one scale, 
if in the other they see the authority of the Koran 
added to the weight of the victorious sword (59). 

Others believe him to be a mere tool in the hands 
of the great slave-merchants of the Upper Nile, 
who are menaced in their hideous traffic by Euro- 
pean civilization. But this is to be too precise in pol- 
itics ; the Mahdi may have the slave-merchants on 
his side, but the slaves are also for him. The rising 
of the Mahdi is the natural and leo^itimate reaction 
of the Soudan, whether for or against slavery, 
against the worst of oppressions, that which presents 
itself with all the hypocrisies of civilization. 

Civilization introduced into a half -savage country 
is a dangerous thing even in the hands of Euro- 
peans ; we can hardly imagine what it may become 
in the hands of Egyptian Pachas, Arabs, or Turks, 
steeped in bureaucracy. 

The Egyptian conquest of the Soudan was doubt- 
less beneficial for the West, for our science and 
commerce ; but for the peoples of the Soudan it 
was hell upon earth. The Egyptian conquest was 
the monopoly of slavery for the benefit of the Khe- 



68 THE MAHDI. 

dive's people. Our hero, Gordon, appointed Gov- 
ernor of the Soudan, saw the intimate workings of 
Egyptian civilization, and twice he resigned his post 
in horror and disgust. 

Further, the war-cry of the Mahdi is not "Down 
with the Christians !" but " Down with the Turks !" 
That is to say, down with the false Moslems of 
Cairo ! The word Turk is used habitually in the 
Soudan, because in the Island of Aba people are 
not familiar with the changes which take place in 
the dictionary of politics, and they are ignorant that 
the Turk of Constantinople no longer rules in 
Egypt. 

However this may be, the Turk, who still thinks 
himself sovereign, took fright. The Soudan, more- 
over, is not the only place where a Mahdi is to be 
dreaded ; on the other side of the Hed Sea there is 
another volcano — Arabia. The Arabs of Arabia 
have certainly been cold to him hitherto ; but the 
reason of this may easily be conceived ; for if there 
is a place which has a right to claim the honor of 
giving the Mahdi to the world, it is Mecca, and 
each Sheriff who prides himself on being descended 
from Fatima says in his heart of hearts, "Who 
knows ? Perhaps I may be the man !" 
. During the pilgrimage of 1882, a Mahdi was ex- 



THE MAHDI. 69 

pected at Mecca. The Turkish police was on its 
guard, and informed the notables of the city that 
something unpleasant miglit happen to them if he 
did appear, and the Messiah remained discreetly in 
the background. 

^Nevertheless, a curious fact proves to what an 
extent the atmosphere of Arabia, without distinc- 
tion of religion or race, is impregnated with Mes- 
sianic vapors. A hundred Jewish families of Ye- 
men, after traversing the whole of that immense 
peninsula, arrived at Jerusalem a few months ago, 
having been urged thither by the report that the 
Messiah had appeared ! They found at Sion, instead 
of the Messiah, the Turk, misery, and famine. 
They lodged in caverns at the foot of the holy 
mountain, and set up their tents on the ground at 
the feet of its olive-trees. The European consuls 
interceded for them, and had some houses built for 
them on the Mount of Offence * (60). 

If we remember that, in Mussulman theology, the 
Messiah heralds the Mahdi, this Jewish exodus is 
full of significance as to the ideas current in Arabia 

* The Mount of Offence or Scandal is the most southern 
part of the Mount of Olives, which has been fixed upon as the 
place where Solomon raised altars for his idolatrous wives, — 
S. A. B. 



70 THE MAHDI. 

at the present time. Hence the Mahdi, aware of 
these things, is anxious to visit Mecca, and this is 
the reason for his having announced, as the last act 
of his programme, that he proposes to go thither to 
be acknowledged by the great Sheriff. This is why 
Osman Digna (61) is so desirous of retaining Sua- 
kin ; unfortunately for him, the English fleet bars 
the way to the holy city. It is the sea, this time, 
which says to the man, " Non am/plius ihis.^^ 

Another Mahdi who was an important personage 
until the great victories of Mohammed, but whose 
star has since been on the wane, is the Mahdi of the 
Senussis. This sect was founded hardly more than 
forty years ago by an Algerian of Mostaganem, and 
is dominant at the present time in Tripoli and the 
Tripolitan Soudan, extending its branches even to 
the Atlantic, to Bagdad (62). 

Senussi, a man of considerable foresight, had mar- 
ried a Sheriffa, that is to say, a woman of the race 
of Ali, and had given his son the name of El-Mahdi. 
On this son the eyes of all the Senussis were fixed. 
He had attained the age of forty — the prophetic 
age. It is said among the Arabs that the Sultan, 
who felt a little uncomfortable, wrote to him, say- 
ing, "There is a great deal of talk about thee. Who 
art thou ? If thou art the Mahdi, let us know, so 



THE MAHDI. ♦J'l 

that in the name of God we may aid tliee to accom- 
plish the divine mission which has been confided to 
tliee." The Mahdi prudently replied, *' I am yQiir 
servant ; but I do not know what yon mean." Iji 
the mean while the Mahdi of Tripoli and the Mahdi 
of the Soudan sat lookino^ at each ether, like two 
china dogs on a farm-house mantelpiece. At the 
beginning of last year the Mahdi of Jahrboub 
denounced him of the Soudan, to the indignation 
of the faithful, as an impostor and a liar. 

During this time the true Mahdi revealed him- 
self, as a Mahdi ought to do, by victory. The 
Sultan, growing more and more uneasy, made a 
trial of those theological weapons which nine centu- 
ries ago had brought such poor success to his prede- 
cessors of Bagdad against the Fatimide Mahdi. 
He consulted the Ulemas of El-Azhar, the greatest 
university of the Mussulman world, as to the value 
of the pretensions of this " person who has revolted 
against the authority of the Caliph of God on earth, 
who alone has power to bind and to release." The 
letter in which the Sultan consulted them gave the 
resume of a circular letter sent by the Mahdi to the 
tribes of Suakin, the commentary on which were 
the battles between General Graham and Osman 
Digna. 



72 THE MAHDI, 

After the usual benedictions on the name of 
Allah, on Mahomet and his family, and after nu- 
merous quotations from the Koran, and traditions 
which command a holy war and forbid the faithful 
to make friends with the enemies of the Most 
High, he claimed for himself the Supreme Caliphat, 
a claim which, he said, was supported by a revela- 
tion from the Most High. Mahomet came to in- 
form him that he was the long-expected Mahdi, 
and made him sit on his throne in the presence of 
the Caliphs, the spiritual chiefs, and Kliidr (the 
Mahometan representative of the Jewish and Chris- 
tian prophet Elijah). God then promised him the 
assistance of the angels who surrounded him, of the 
faithful Djinns, and of all the prophets and saints 
who have ever existed, from the time of Adam to 
the present moment. At the hour of battle the 
Lord promised him to appear in person with them 
at the head of his army ; the Lord gave him the 
sword of victory, with the formal promise that none 
sliould vanquish him, even if the Djinns should 
unite with men against him. Besides this, God 
gaA'e him two other signs of his mission — one a 
beauty-spot on the right cheek (63), the other the 
standard of light, to be borne at the hour of battle 
by the Angel Azrael (64). The Prophet said to 



THE MAHDI. 73 

him also, " Of the h'glit of my heart art thou cre- 
ated " (65). AVhoever believes in him will be very 
happy, and have allotted to him a place near God 
like that of Abd-el-Kader Ghilani {66); whoever 
opposes him shall be considered an infidel, an out- 
cast in this world and the next, and shall see his 
children and his fortune a prey to the Moslem. 
The Prophet concluded by announcing the fall of 
those infidels, and worse than infidels, the Turks, 
because they strive to extinguish the light of the 
Most High God. 

The Ulemas gave the reply which was evidently 
desired, and endeavored to crush the pretensions 
of the Mahdi with an overpowering weight of 
arguments and quotations ; but, curiously enough, 
they seemed not to dream of doubting the miracles 
whicli he announced as facts. They accepted all 
his premises, only contesting liis conclusions — a 
very dangerous procedure from a logical point of 
view. In their honor be it said, however, that the 
authority of the beauty-spot did not really impose 
upon them, for they profoundly remarked that 
there are many people who bear this ornament 
quite modestly on their cheeks without holding it 
forth as a reason for them to a claim a mission 
from on high. The standard of light borne by 



74 THE MAHDI. 

Azrael seemed to puzzle tliem more, and the natu- 
ral question arises what that standard of light is. 
Of this we know notliing, but the Ulemas were 
apparently familiar with its nature. Thej con- 
tented themselves with the observation that a man 
through whose means a miracle is performed is not 
necessarily a prophet, and that miracles may even 
take place through the agency of the impious: for 
example, apparently, those daily wonders of the 
unfaithful, railways, the telegraph, dynamite, etc. 
They argued for a long time as to whether Ma- 
homet had appeared to him awake or asleep, but 
concluded that however that mav have been, he 
had certainly not brought him a revelation which 
was contrary to the very law of Mahomet ; for the 
trne Mahdi, according to the orthodox tradition, 
ought to appear at a time of trouble, at the death 
of a Caliph, when the people should not know 
whom to appoint in his stead, which was not the 
case at that moment. Further, he was not to 
appear in the Soudan, but in Arabia ; not to pro- 
claim himself Mahdi, but to be proclaimed Mahdi 
in spite of himself : for, according to the most 
authentic traditions, the Mahdi was to be a man 
from Medina, who, reversing the Hegira'^ of Ma- 
* The Flight.— A. S. B. 



THE MAHDI. 75 

liomet, sliould flee to Mecca and be proclaimed in 
spite of liimself between tlie black stone at the 
Caaba, and the standing-place of Abraham (67). 

This tradition, which was most reassuring to the 
powers that were, according to the Ulemas refuted 
the pretensions of the false prophet, " with a clear- 
ness comparable to that of the stars." 

The terrible accusation of infidelity, hurled against 
those who should deny the Mahdi, should be turned 
against him himself, for he denounced and massa- 
cred the faithful, forgetting that it is a less heinous 
crime to leave a thousand infidels alive than to slay 
one of the faithful, "an unheard-of and revolting 
atrocity which angers God and His Prophet, and 
realizes the hopes of Satan." The words of the 
Prophet on the subject of heretics apply to the 
false Mahdi and his followers: "They are the 
worst of my people who slay the best of my peo- 
ple." Hence, any one who associates with him by 
act or word will be associated with him at the Last 
Judgment. The Prophet has said, " Discord sleeps ; 
mav God curse him who awakens her !" 

4/ 

A month after this consultation Hicks Pacha's 
army was exterminated, and many of those who had 
agreed with the above conclusion began to have 
doubts of the value of their arguments. The events 



76 THE MAHDI. 

whicli followed later, the taking of Khartoum and 
the death of Gordon, ended many a doubt and 
much resistance. The death of Gordon was even 
more striking than the taking of Khartoum, for it 
was an event predicted in the Messianic programme. 

It seems as if Gordon played, and still plays, a 
superhuman part in the imagination of the Mahdi's 
followers. To us Gordon is only a hero, perhaps 
the last hero of Puritan Christianity, one of Mil- 
ton's heroes who has lost his way among the in- 
trigues of the nineteenth century; to the Arabs 
Gordon is Christianity itself, the mighty incarna- 
tion of evil and of error, which they contemplate 
with a mixture of terror, awe, and hatred. 

The English papers published a manifesto from 
the Emir of Berber, announcing the taking of 
Khartoum and the death of Gordon ; according to 
the translation it said : " We have killed the traitor 
Gordon" (68). It is rather surprising to iind the 
expression traitor coupled with the name of Gor- 
don even by the pen of an Arab, and it is to be 
regretted that the word so translated was not given 
in the Arabic original, for very possibly the text 
gave " Gordon the Impostor," that is to say, the 
Deddjal, the Antichrist : for the death of the Dedd- 
jal, the destruction of the Antichrist, was to be the 



THE MAHDI. 77 

great work of the Malidi and the heginning of the 
great triumph (69). Gordon miglit have played 
another part if he had become a convert to Islam- 
ism, as the Mahdi seems to have offered that he 
should do — the part of Jesus Christ Himself; for 
theoretically at least there can be no Mahdi without 
a Jesus at liis side. 'No one has hitherto been 
engaged for this part, but possibly the ambition of 
M. Ollivier Pain* may be tempted by it. 

The movement in the Soudan cannot be crushed 
by intermittent victories bought too dearly for Eng- 
land. It is not with one battle that a revolution 
can be put an end to. Islam has reached its '93, 
and caimot be brought back again to '89. In spite 
of an infinite number of external differences, tlio 
same spirit is now urging the followers of the Mahdi 
which urged on the men of the French Eevolution. 
To the thousands of people who are ready to die at 
his sh'ghtest command, and probably even to him- 
self, the work of the Mahdi is to bring about the 
advent of justice upon earth. Remember the Pro- 
phet's definition of the Mahdi : "A man who shall 
fill the earth with justice, as it is now filled with 
iniquity." 

* See p. 78, foot-note. 



78 THE MAHDI. 

The revolutionary idea among the French, and 
the idea of the Messiali among the Mussulmans, 
spring from the same instinct, the same aspiration 
—among the former in a secular, among the latter 
in a religious form ; among the former withered 
into abstract propositions and tlieoretical reasonings, 
among the latter in the spontaneous and striking 
form of supernatural visions. 

On both sides we find the same striving for an 
ideal, tainted bv lapses into greed and hatred ; on 
both sides the same ignorance of reality, the same 
hopes contrary to the order of Nature, the same 
dream of a world regenerated by a miracle, without 
any change in humanity, the same prodigies of en- 
thusiasm, ferocity, and devotion ; on both sides, the 
kingdom of equity, peace, and brotherhood, is to 
be established by means of a desti'oying angel. The 
Chancellor of the Mahdi, if he has one,* need not 
feel himself expatriated in the midst of tlie desert 
confederations. Wliere the Fiench beggar sings: 

" Here is the end of your troubles, 
Eaters of black bread and drinkers of water !"f 

* M. Ollivier Pain Is said to be the Mahdi's Chancellor; he 
played a leading part in the Commune at Paris in 1871. — 
A. S. B. 

f " Voici la fin de vos miseres, 

Mangcurs de pain noir, buveurs d'eau!" 
A song by Dupont which was very popular in 1848. — A. S. B. 



THE MAHDI. 79 

the oppressed Arab cries up to heaven : Mata 
yathar el Mahdi f — " When will the Mahdi come ?" 
A people imbued with these sentiments may be 
exterminated, but they will never be made to sub- 
mit to fate. 



80 THE MAHDI. 



X. 



CONCLUSION. 

How will it end ? The subject naturally invites 
prophecies, but the author has no intention of setting 
himself up as a Mahdi, and will therefore endeavor 
to be prudent in his predictions. 

The present Mahdi, if Mahomet is to be trusted, 
has still three or four years to last, for the Prophet 
announced that the terrestrial mission of the Mahdi 
should last for seven years (70). It is quite possi- 
ble, indeed, that three years may wear him out : for 
a Mahdi can only exist by victories and marches in 
advance; if he retires or pauses the Soudan will 
cry : " This is not the true Mahdi ; he is one of the 
false Mahdis who are to announce the true : let us 
wait." It seems safe, however, to assume that 
whatever may be the result of the English expedi- 
tion, no European nation, whatever it may be, will 
ever be able to establish lasting order in the Soudan, 
and this for a natural reason, a decree from above. 



THE MAHDI. 81 

The sun over their heads, the desert sand beneath 
their feet, oppose a double barrier to their success 
which no act of Parliament can abolish (71). 

From the very dawn of history there has never 
but twice been anything like real order prevailing 
in these regions — three thousand years ago under 
the Pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and in this 
century under the Khedives. 

Order, as understood by the Khedives, has 
brought about what we have already seen. Eng- 
land could only restore it with the forces of Egypt ; 
but by reducing Egypt to vassalage, and making 
the Khedive a mere phantom, by drawing down 
on herself, by a series of useless and unnecessary 
measures, the hostility of the most important part 
of Egypt, she broke with her own hands the only 
instrument wliich she could serviceably employ 
tliere. Her brave little army with terrible sacri- 
fices and loss of blood might be able to fly the 
flag of England for a day from the walls of Khar- 
toum, to gain a brilliant but sterile victory in the 
desert; but her victorious footprints would in a 
night be obliterated by the sand of the desert. 

Hence the real sympathy, more general than is 
imagined, and which the newspapers will not ac- 
knowledge, that the Malidi excites in England, even 



OB 



82 THE MAHDI. 

after the death of Gordon. England has a great 
political virtue — the greatest perhaps of all political 
virtues — the respect for power under whatever form 
it may be manifested, as long as it is manifested 
clearly. If Mohammed AH had been a politician, 
if there had been in him the stuff to make a Fatim- 
ide or an Almohade, if he consented to remain on 
earth, and found a great Soudanese empire, then 
Europe might wake up one fine day and learn that 
England had sent a resident to the Court of Khar- 
toum or El-Obeid, with a regular treaty of com- 
merce. Unfortunately it seems that the Mahdi is 
not a politician in the European sense of the word. 
He is something more, or less — he is an honest fan- 
atic. The kingdom of earth is to him only a step- 
ping-stone to the kingdom of heaven ; and in the 
kingdom of heaven, according to the Arabian con- 
ception of it, there is no room for an English resi- 
dent, even though he were a missionary or a 
Methodist. 

l^evertheless it is necessary that the Soudan shall 
remain open ; if it were closed it wonld, in the eyes 
of history, be a disgrace to our times. It is impos- 
sible that Europe should lose the fruit of the hero- 
ism and genius of an incomparable army of explor- 
ers, English, French, Italian^ and German. In one 



THE MAHDI. 83 

day the loss of half a century of gain would be 
brought about. 

Well ! if European civilization cannot ascend the 
Nile, it has only to reach the source of it and to de- 
scend it. This is quite possible. At the very gates 
of the Soudan a half-European power has slum- 
bered for centuries, a power which has hitherto 
only occasionally appeared upon the scene to inflict 
a few short but sanguinary lessons upon Egyptian 
greed, but which one day will be the Deus ex 
machina — this power is Abyssinia. At the source 
of the Blue Nile, cut off in a chaos of impregnable 
mountains, dwells a nation of strong passions, which 
is at the same time very old and verj^ young, which 
has behind it long distant memories of power and 
glory, and which is beginning to dream of a future 
equal to its real or imaginary past. This people is 
Christian, and boasts its descent from King Solomon 
and the Queen of Sheba (72). More than thirteen 
centuries ago it received from the Greeks the Chris- 
tian religion and the germs of a civilization re- 
sembling our own, which only need to be developed 
if Europe will lend its aid. M. Gabriel Charmes, 
one of the most brilliant of French journalists, has 
pointed out the great interest which we should take 
to merit the friendship of a people who look towards 



84 THE MAHDI. 

US, a lost sentinel of the West, whom we have for- 
gotten, for centuries, to relieve. One day if we 
wish, and will undertake the education of this infant 
people, the mountains of Abyssinia will be the 
stronghold whence European civilization shall domi- 
nate the Soudan. 

This is not an affair of conquest nor of annexation ; 
it will not be necessary to lead an Abyssinian army 
to the conquest of Khartoum ; it is a matter of slow 
and disinterested action which cannot awaken jeal- 
ousy, for all the nations of Europe can participate 
in it to the extent in which each inspires confidence. 
The European nation which shall do the most for 
the education of this people, which shall respect its 
weakness instead of speculating upon it, which shall 
develop its powers instead of using them as an in- 
strument of personal ambition, shall make of this 
nation, now backw^ard in civilization, an advanced 
guard against barbarism. Our civilization thus in- 
stalled at the sources of the Blue IS^ile will slowly 
descend the valley ; and who knows whether in 
these young and courageous hands it may not, when 
necessary, find a supreme resource against the dan- 
gers of a return to barbarism to which it is exposed 
by the senile quarrels of Europe fallen into its 
second childhood ? 



NOTES. 



NOTES. 



1. For the subject of Zohak, see Ormazd et Ahri- 
man, by J. Darmesteter. Paris, Vieweg, 1877, §§ 
91-95, 107-110. 

2. As to Saoshyant, see ibid. §§ 180-192. 

3. The word imdm literally means the chief, or 
guide. In public prayer it signifies the officiating 
minister, whose words the 'people repeat in a low 
voice and whose gestures they imitate; he is a dele- 
gate of the supreme Imam, the successor of Ma- 
homet. Among the Shiites, the legitimate imam 
having disappeared (see above, p. 40), there are only 
leaders de facto, and the Friday public prayer is no 
longer legal (Querry, Iteciieil de lois Chyites, I. 85). 

4. "In all times the Mussulmans have held the 
opinion that towards the end of time a man of the 
family of the Prophet must necessarily appear in 
order to support religion and bring about the tri- 
umph of justice. Leading in his train the true be- 
lievers, he will make himself master of the Moslem 
kingdoms, and will be called El Mahdi (the God- 



88 NOTES. 

guided). Then El Deddjal (the Antichrist) will ap- 
pear, and those events will take place which are to 
-herald the approach of the last hour (of the world), 
events indicated in the collections of authentic tra- 
ditions. After the coming of Deddjill Jesus will de- 
scend (from heaven) and will destroy him, or (ac- 
cording to another tradition) he will descend with 
the Mahdi to assist in the destruction of Deddjal, 
and when he prays the Mahdi will be his imam 
(prayer-leader)" {ProUgomenes cPIbn Khaldoun, 
translated into Fi-ench by De Slane, II. i58). See 
the whole chapter, which contains a collection of tra- 
ditions relative to the Mahdi. Ibn Khaldoun wrote 
in the fourteenth century; he was born in Tunis in 
1332, and died in Egypt in 1406. 

5. ProUgomenes, II. 166. 

6. Masoudi, Les prairies cVor, II. 162. 

7. Bagl Minocitri min yaztdn (Pehlevi Inscrip- 
tions, jt:>ass«'m). 

8. "Rex regum Sapor, particeps siderum, frater 
soils et lunae, Constantio Caesari, f ratri meo, salutem 
plurimam dico" (Ammianus Marcellin. XVII. 5-3). 

'Xodpofj'^ ftadiXevi ftapiXsoor , ...h' BeoiS /lev arOpooTto? 
dyaQd<^ uai aiGovioi, sr de rot's dvOpcjTtoi'S QeoS k7tiq)aye- 
draroi, vTtEpsvSo^oi, viHrjTrii, i)Xicp dwavaraXXcor uai 
Ty vvxri X(Xpi^6fAEvo<i o/iijiaTa'' (Theopliylactus Siraocatta, 
IV. 8). 

9. Adrien de Longperier, (Euvres, I. 79. Hence, 
doubtless, the usage among the Sufis of the word 



NOTES. 89 

qotb, pole, to indicate the supreme saint, the delegate 
of God, by virtue of whom in every generation 
nature and the world follow regular order. (Silves- 
tre de Sacy, Journal des Savmits, 1822, p. 17.) 

10. Amari, Storia del Musuhnani dl Sicilian I. 
107. 

11. The first apotheosis of Ali is attributed to a 
converted Jew from Yemen, Abdallah ben Saba, 
founder of the sects of Extravagants or Ultra-Alides 
(the Ghaliyas) ; with regard to these sects see Schah- 
rastani. Sects and Schools, Haarbriickner's translar 
tion. (Abul-Fath Muhammad asch-Schahrastani's 
Meligionspartheien und Philosphen-Schulen, Halle, 
2 vol. 1850: I. 195-219.) 

12. Comte de Gobineau, Heligions de VAsie 
centrales page 339, e^ seq. — Chodzko, Theatre persan 
1878. 

13. ProUgommes, II. 178. 

14. For the doctrines of Mokhtar and the Mohh- 
tariya, see Schahrastdni, loc. cit., I. 166-169; on 
the life of Mokhtar, see the Chronique de Tahari, 
translated into French by M. Zotenberg, IV. 80, et 
seq. 

15. Ormazd et Ahriman, pp. 212, 217. 

16. Simrock, Handhiich der Deiitschen Mythologie, 
preface of the 4th edition. 

17. Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 175-179. 

18. Verses by the poet Kutair: 

"In truth the imams of Koreish, the masters of truth, are 
four in number equal among themselves ; 



90 NOTESo 

Ali and three of his children, grandsons (of the Prophet by 
their mother, Siht), on whom rests no doubt; 

A grandson, the heir of his faith and of his generosity (Has- 
san), another buried in the grave at Kerbela (Hussein). 

A third hidden from the siglit of all until the day when he 
shall appear at the head of his horsemen, preceded by the 
standard (Mohammed). 

This son conceals himself from all ej'^es for a long time, hid- 
den in the valley of liadwa, where water and honey flow." 
(Masoudi, Les prairies d'or, translated by Barbier de Mey- 

nard, V. 183; Cf. Schalirasidai, loc. cit., I. 168.) 

" The valley of Radwa is situated at the foot of a 
mountain of the same name, near Yanbo, between 
that town and Medina. The mysterious aspect of 
this valley, with its caves and wooded gorges, lends 
itself to the legend of the hidden imam,'''' (Barbier 
de Meynard, Le Seid himyarite, Journal Asiatiqiie, 
1874, II. 249, note.) 

19. ProUgomenes, 11. 180. 

20. On the life and works of this poet, see M. 
Barbier de Meynard's monograph, in the Journal 
Asiatique, 1874, 11. 159, et seq. 

21. The name of the mother of Mohammed, who 
belonged to the Hanefite tribe. 

22. Prairies d''or, Y. 182. The last verses com- 
posed by Seid, when dying, are in honor of the Hane- 
fite Mahdi: 

" Dost thou not know, j^et the news is spreading; dost thou 
not know the words which Mahomet addressed 

To the depositary of his knowledge, to the guide to salva- 
tion, Ali, when Khawlah was handmaid in his house? 



NOTES. 91 

Know (said the Prophet) that Khawlah will soon give thee a 

son, a generous, brave, and noble hero; 
He shall be glorified by the name and surname which I have 

given him, and he shall be Mahdi after me; 
He shall live long, unknown to men, and they shall believe 

him to be hidden in the tomb at Tibah. 
Months and years shall roll away and he shall be seen in the 

valley of Radwa, in the midst of panthers and lions. 
Around him, white gazelles, bulls, and young ostriches shall 

wander in the midst of Hods. 
Wild beasts shall spare them, and shall not seek to tear 

them with their claws; 
Death will respect their host, and the animals will feed tran- 
quilly amid pastures and flowers. 
I hope that my last hour will be delayed, and that I shall 

await thy reign free from violence, and which none will 

accuse as harsh. 
Thou shalt triumph over those who persecute us because of 

You, who are the best of refuges. 
Thou shalt place us above them wherever they shall be, in 

the depths of Tehamah and on the plains of Nedjd, 
When coming from the holy land thou shalt show thyself 

to the sons of Maad, assembled at Medina." 

[Compare the above verses with Isaiah xi. 4, et 
seq.; Ixv. 25.— A. S. B.] 

23. Prairies d''or, Y. 471. 

24. Prole gomenes, De Slane, I. 406. 

25. Jelal-nddin as-Suyuti, History of the Caliphs, 
Jarret's translation, Calcutta, 1881, p. 13, e^ seq. 

26. Dozy, JEssai sur Vhistoire de VIslamisme, p. 
240. 

27. Scbefer, Ghrestomathie persane, p. 170, et seq. 
Sinbad's real object was to restore the ancient reli- 



92 NOTES. 

gion of Persia. When he spoke privately to the 
Ghebers [the fire-worshippers] he said, " The reign of 
the Arabs has come to an end as one of the Sassanide 
books predicted. I will not renounce my enterprise 
until I have destroyed the Kaabah, the worship of 
which has been substituted for that of the sun, and 
until we shall as of old make that planet our qiblah." 
To explain to the Ghebers why in the mean while 
they had fought under the Mussulman flag, he said, 
"Mazdek became a Shiy and enjoined on us to 
avenge the blood of Abu-Muslim" (ibid. p. 172). 

28. The hero of Moore's poem, "The Veiled 
Prophet of Khorassan." 

29. On Ml-Mocanna^ see Guptav Weil, Oeschichte 
(ler Chalifen, II. 101, et seq. 

30. Tahari, IV. 371, e^ seq. 

31. Tahari, IV. 382-421. 

32. The following is one of the apocryphal tradi- 
tions circulated at the time in order to bring about 
the restoration of the Alides, which wis attributed 
to a contemporary of Ali, Ibn Masud: 

" While we were near the Prophet, said Abdallah 
Ibn Masud, behold some young men of the family of 
Hachem approached. When the Prophet saw them 
his eyes filled with tears and he changed color. I 
said to him, ' For a long time we have noticed some- 
thing in your face which has pained us.' He re- 
plied, ' God has preferred to give to us who belong 
to a specially favored house, happiness in another 
world rather than prosperity in this. After me the 



KOTES. 93 

members of this family shall suffer misfortunes; they 
shall be persecuted until men shall come out of the 
east bearing with them black flags. They will de- 
mand what is right, but they will not obtain it; then 
thev will fight, will be victorious, and will gain what 
they had demanded. They will only accept it in 
order to give it to a man of my family who shall fill 
the earth with justice as now it is filled with in- 
iquity. Those among you who shall see this must 
join them even if in order to do so they have to 
drag themselves through snow.' It was Yezid Ibn 
Abi Ziad who brought this message which is gene- 
rally known by the traditionists under the name of 
tradition of the flags''' [ProUgomenes, II. IIQ). The 
men from the east were the army of Abu-Muslim 
come from Khorassan; the black flag was the ban- 
ner of the Abbassides. 

33. Since the reign of Schah Abbah, who organ- 
ized the pilgrimage to Mechhed, in order to retain in 
Persia the caravans and the money which had gone 
out every year to Mecca. The word Mechhed means 
" place of martyrdom," and by extension, " tomb of 
a saint." 

34. As to the fate of the twelve Imams, see Rei- 
naud. Description des Monuments Musulmans du 
Cabinet Blacas, 1828, Yol. I. 367-377; Sr^hefer, Chres- 
toraathie persane, 184-189. 

35. Mouradgea d'Ohsson, Tableau de V empire Ot- 
toman^ ed. in fol. I. 88. This picture is reproduced 
as the frontispiece to the present volume. 



94 NOTES. 

86. Barbier de Meynard, Yaqout, Dictionnaire de 
la Perse, p. 435. 

37. Voyages d''Ibn Botoutah (fourteenth century), 
translation into French by Defremery and Sangui- 
netti, II. 97-99. ProUgomenes, I. 404. 

38. Reinaud, loc. cit., I. 377; II. 161. 

39. Chardin, Voyage en Perse, ed. Langles, VII. 
456; IX. 144. The last of the Sarbedarian princes (a 
dynasty of Khorassan, end of the fourteenth cen- 
tury), Khodja ali Mouied, acted in the same manner. 
(D'llerbelot, Bihliotheque Orientale, art. Sarheda- 
riens.) 

40. The schism began as early as the sixth Imam, 
Jafar. Jafar had appointed his eldest son, Ismael, as 
his successor; but Ismael having died before him, he 
transmitted his rights to his second son, Musa, 
although Ismael had left children. The mass of the 
Alides accepted Musa, but a powerful party refused 
to acknowledge him, and remained faithful to Ismael 
and his descendants. " Some partisans of Ismael re- 
fused to believe in his death; he had simply disap- 
peared, they said, and would return some day, even 
if it was at the en^ of time. Strange reports circu- 
lated about him; some persons claimed to have seen 
him at Basrah. All those of the Ismaelites who put 
faith in these propositions declared that they must 
wait for the return of Ismael, and as he did not return 
they concluded that he was the expected Messiah, the 
Mahdi, and that no Imam was to come after him. 
They received the name of Stationary Ismaelites; but 



NOTES. 95 

the greater number of people proclaimed Ismael's 
son, Mohammel ben Ismael " (Stanislas Guyard, Un 
grand maitre des Assassms, Journal Asiatiqiie, \d>11, 
I. 329). 

41. On the life and work of Abdallah ben Meimun, 
see Stanislas Guyard, loc. clt., 326-334. 

42. A tradition attributed to Mahomet jDrevailed 
in Africa that at the end of the world the sun would 
rise from the West, which was interpreted by saying 
that the Mahdi would appear in the West, Magh- 
reb = setting of the sun ; but this did not prevent 
the existence at the same time of a literal interpreta- 
tion. On the Fatimide Mahdi, see Ibn Khaldoun, 
ITistoire des Berbers, De Slane's French translation, 
III. 496; Prolegomhies, III. 40, et seq., 128; Amari, 
Storia del Miisulmani di Sicilla; Silvestre de Sacy, 
Expose de la religion des Druzes, I. cclxv. 

43. Vie du Khalife fatimide Moez-lidin- Allah, par 
Quatremere (Journal Asiatique). 

44. Silvestre de Sacy, loc. cit., I. 229. 

45. On the Almohade Mahdi, see Dozy, Essai sur 
Vhistowe de Vlslamisme,, pp. 368-380 ; Ibn Khal- 
doun, Histoire des Berbers, De Slane, III. 161, et 
seq.; Prolegomenes, I. 53, et seq., 467; II. 442; leKar- 
tas. 

46. "As a rule they expected to see him appear in 
some distant province, in some locality situated at 
the extreme limit of the habitable land, such as 
Zab in Ifrikiya,* or at Sous in the Maghreb. f They 

* In Algeria to the south of Auras, 

\ On the Atlantic, at the mouth of the river Sous. 



,96 NOTES. 

went there intending to remain until they met this 
person, imagining that he would appear in the r«*- 
hat and be inaugurated there. They chose this place 
because it was in the neighborhood of the country 
of the Guedalas, one of the veiled peoples, and they 
thought that it was to this race that he would belong. 
These suppositions are not justified in any way ex- 
cept by the extraordinary appearance of the (veiled) 
people. . . . Many individuals of limited intelli- 
gence went to the rihat with the intention of deceiving 
people, and posing as founders of a new doctrine, an 
enticing prospect for the ambitious, when they yield 
to the inspiration of the demon or of their own mad- 
ness. But these attempts often cost them their lives" 
{Prolego7nenes, II. 200). 

47. At the beginning of the eighth century of the 
Hegira, under the Merinide Yussuf Ibn Yacub, a Sufi 
named Toidzeri, the little Touzerian (from Touzer, 
Tunisian Djerid), appeared at the ribat of Massa, 
bringing a number of men from Sous, Guezoulas, and 
Zanagas (Sanhejas), and was assassinated by the 
alarmed Masmudian Emirs. 

El-Abbas appeared among the Ghomaras of the 
Marocco Rif between 690 and 700 (1291-1300 a.d.)„ 
took Bades (Velez de Gomera), burnt the bazaars, 
marched on El-Mezemma (Alhucema) and was assas- 
sinated. 

Mohammed Ibn Abrahim el-Abbeli, the master of 
Ibn Khaldoun, making the pilgrimage to the rihat 
of El-Obbad (the burial-place of the Zauia of the 



NOTES. 97 

Sheikh Bu Medin), on the mountain above Tlemcen, 
travelled with a descendant of the Prophet coming 
from Kerbela, where he had dwelt, accompanied by 
a numerous and admiring party, and who was re- 
ceived everywhere by hospitable compatriots. He 
came to establish the authority of the Fatimides in 
Maghreb; but seeing the forces of the Merinide Yus- 
suf Ibn Yacub, he prudently retired, saying: "We 
have made a false step; the time has not yet come" 
{ProUgomenes, II. 202). 

48. In 1828 a Mahdi appeared in Senegal, Moham- 
med ben A'mar ben Ahhmed; like Mahomet he re- 
vealed himself in the month of Ramadan; he was 
shut up as insane in a cell built for the purpose 
according to the custom of the country; he left it 
twelve days later at the time of evening prayer, took 
up his parable in the manner of a prophet, and made 
known his mission. Beaten by the Almamy (the 
Emir Al-Mumenin of those parts), he brought back 
his scattered partisans by offering a sacrifice for the 
sins of the people; the sacrifice was his own infant 
son. It is not known what became of him. The 
contemporary evidence goes no further than that 
event {Remie des Deux Mondes, 1829, I. 247). 

49. Mouradgea d'Ohsson, Tableau de Vempire Ot- 
toman^ in fol. I. 88. This is the Sunnite Code of 
Omar Nessefy (born in the year 534 of the Hegira, 
1142 of our era), with a commentary by Saad-eddin 
Teftazani (808 of the Hegira, 1405 of our era). 

60. Mouradgea d'Ohsson mentions several Mahdis 



98 NOTES. 

under the Sultans, most of them were Dervishes: 
Jelal under Selim I., Yahya Mohammed Seyyah 
under Murad III., Ahmed Scheykh Sacariah, under 
Murad IV. Unfortunately he gives no details re- 
specting these Mahdis; but he says, '^It is believed 
that there is even at present (1788) an impostor of 
this name on the frontiers of Persia." 

51. Hammer-Purgstall, Histoire de V empire Otto- 
nian, Hellert's translation, XI. 239, et seq. Cf. Rein- 
ach, Histoire des Israelites, 269, et seq. Another 
Mahdi appeared under Ahmed II. in 1694; he declared 
himself in the mosque at Adrianople. Summoned to 
appear before the Kaimakan, he escaped by feigning 
madness; when at liberty he began afresh, and was 
exiled to Lemnos (Hammer-Purgstall, loc. cit. XII. 
360). 

52. Report dated Messidor 1st, Eighth Year (June 
19, 1799). 

53. Societe de Geographie reports for 1883, pp. 
621-628. The number of rebels engaged is some- 
times given to a man. 

54. He is of middle height, coffee-colored complex- 
ion, with a black beard according to Mousa Peney 
{Bevue d^ Ethnographie, II. 473. Letter dated April 
13, 1883). On each cheek he has three parallel scars, 
which M. Goeje says, in a letter to the author, are 
the marks of those gashes which in Africa are called 
Meshdli (Welsted, Travels in Arabia, II. 206, 283) 
2indi Tashrtt 2ki Mecca (Robertson Smith, Encyc. Brit. 
art, *' Mecca"), a disfigurement which it is fashion- 



KOTES. 99 

able to i^erform on children — according to some, for 
the purpose of preventing ophthalmia; according to 
others, as a sign of piety. He also bears the seal of 
prophecy, see pp. 81-2, note 63. 

55. " Even though the world should have but one 
day more to live, it is certain that God will prolong 
that day until He has revived a man like me, or a 
member of my family, whose name shall be the same 
as mine, and whose father shall bear the same name 
as my father" (ProUgommes^ H. 162). This tradi- 
tion probably dates from the time of the Mahdi Mo- 
hammed, who was the son of a man named Abdallah, 
the rival of Almansor. 

56. Bosphore Egyptien^ June 8, 1884. 

57. "It is very remarkable," says the eminent Ley- 
den Orientalist, M. de Goeje, "and a proof of sin- 
cerity that the present Mahdi does not set himself 
up as of Fatimide descent" (in a private letter dated 
March 13, 1885). Cf. note 65. 

58. See the account, given by the Greek prisoners, 
cited in note 69. 

59. The following circular or general order from 
the Mahdi was picked up after the battle of Kirbekan 
on February 9 ±885, and although not written by 
him it breathes his sentiments and shows the practi- 
cal energy and faith of the writers: "In the name of 
the most Merciful, Bountiful, etc., etc., etc. To the 
Sheikhs of Dar Monister, Dar Robatat, etc., etc. 
Twenty-five rifles have been distributed to every vil- 
lage in your country, and in all the Shagyeh districts, 



100 NOTES. 

No man therefore must come unto you without arms. 
Should any join your camp without carrying a rifle, 
he is to receive two hundred strokes of the kerbash. 
Unarmed men are useless, and only eat up provisions; 
besides they may be suspected of being lukewarm in 
our cause and of being afraid of being seen by the 
Giaour, or the Turks, who are not true Mussulmans, 
and more to be cursed than the Giaour. All of these 
ye shall destroy in due time. After much blood has 
flown there shall be peace. See that these instruc- 
tions of our Lord, the Long Expected One,* are fol- 
lowed. "Woe to all the disobedient." Then follow 
signatures of four dervishes. 

" Mahomet Ali, 
Ibeahim-Eran-Hasskin, 
Hanid Ageil, 
soleumann yousseff." 

(Daily News, March 10, 1885; the letter is published 
in the correspondence . from the battle-field, dated 
February 11th). 

60. Univers Israelite, 1885, February 16th. 

61. According to an interesting article published 
in the Daily iVetos for March 21, 1885, Osman Digna, 
the most able of the Mahdi's lieutenants, is the 

* Probably El-Muntazar, the ancient title of the Mahdi, or 
last Im^m, [For particulars of a coin struck in the name of 
El-Muntazar, and issued by the Vizier Abu- Ali in the year of 
the Hegira 534 (1130 a.d.), see Catalogue of the Coins in the 
British Museum, by Stanley Lane-Poole, Introduction, pp. ix. 
etS6q,—A. S. B.] " 



NOTES. 101 

grandson of a Turkish slave-merchant established at 
Suakin in the beginning of this century; on the 
mother's side he belonged to the non-Arab tribe of 
the Hadendowas. The house of Osman Digna was 
the richest and most influential in the country of 
Suakin. In the course of his business travels in the 
Soudan, where he went in search of profitable ex- 
changes, negroes included, he allied himself with the 
principal heads of the anti-Egyptian movement which 
was hatching. Ruined by the Anglo-Egyptian Con- 
vention against slavery, he assembled the sheikhs un- 
der the sycamore which shadows the chief well of 
Suakin, and exhorted them to rise against the Turks 
(the Egyptians), those false Mussulmans who entered 
into alliance with the Christians. The sheikhs thought 
he was mad. He waited, and recommenced his 
travels. When the Mahdi declared himself he became 
one of his first followers, and went to seek him at 
El-Obeid, receiving the title of "Emir of the Dervish 
of God," with letters to the Soudanese sheikhs order- 
ing them to obey him. Since then he has bravely 
held his own against the English, often vanquished, 
but regaining his positions, and always ready to be 
on the offensive. At last his star seems to have sunk 
before General Graham towards the end of March. 
His camp at Tamai was taken in the beginning of 
April; it had already been taken last year without 
any great benefit to the English.* 

*It was reported on April 17, 1885, that the enemy was 
again at Tamai. — A. S. B, 



102 KOTES. 

62. Henri Duveyrier, La confrerie niiisuhnane de 
Sidi Mohammed heri'Ali JEs-Senousi et son domaine 
geographiqiie eti Vannee 1309 de riiegire, Paris, So- 
ciete de Geographic, 1884. 

63. It is said that Mahomet bore between his 
shoulders the seal of prophecy. " The Mussulmans 
believe that it is a kind of wen covered with hair, 
and as large as a pigeon's Qg^g. They add that all the 
prophets had one like it, but that at the death of 
Mahomet the seal of prophecy disappeared forever. 
Mahomet made this natural deformity one of the 
chief proofs of his divine mission" (Reinaud, Descrip- 
tion du Cabhiet JBlacas, II. 79). 

64. The angel of death. 

65. An ingenious way of acknowledging that he is 
not of Mahomet's blood. Cf. note 57. 

66. This was a great sage of the seventh century, 
who has become the chief saint of contemporary 
Africa; he is supposed to return to earth once every 
year at night, and to traverse the desert beneath the 
rays of the moon on a magnificently caparisoned 
horse. On the Qaderis, the brotherhood of his fol- 
lowers, to which the Mahdi seems to belong, see 
Commandant Rinn's book. Marabout et KJiouans, 
Algiers, 1884, p. 173, et seq. 

67. Between the Rohn and the MaJcdm. The 
Rokn is the famous black stone brought from heaven 
by the angel Gabriel, imbedded in the north-east 
angle of the wall whence the pilgrims start for the 
seven sacred turns round the temple. It is said that 



KOTES. 103 

it was at first of a brilliant red and wonderfully 
transparent; but that it has grown black under the 
kisses of generations of sinners. The Makam or 
Makdm IbraJmn is the place where Abraham stood 
during the construction of the Caaba. 

68. " The traitor Gordon" {Daily News, February 
14, 1883). 

69. This supposition is confirmed by a communica- 
tion published in the Standard for March 4th, which 
details the adventures of four Christian prisoners in 
the Mahdi's camp, and contains the following pas- 
sage: 

" To account, however, for the stubborn resistance 
which one single Christian successfully opposed to 
the Prince of the Faith, he was fain to explain that 
Gordon was no ordinary unbeliever, but the Anti- 
christ himself, spoken of in the prophetic passages of 
the Koran, whom the Mahdi is destined to overthrow 
before the advent of the true Messiah and the estab- 
lishment of the Islamic millennium." 

This communication contains several interesting 
details which explain some of the points already 
touched upon. The prisoners were three Greeks 
and a Copt established at Ghedarif, who, when the 
town was taken, were seized by the rebels. 

" Their lives were spared on condition that they 
pronounced the Mussulman confession of faith, ' There 
is no God but God, and Mahomet is His Prophet,' 
and surrendered all their property and goods and 
chattels to the Beit -ul- Mai, or Public Treasure 



104 NOTES. 

House. In the presence of the Mahdi's Ameer they 
were then stripped of their semi-European clothing, 
receiving in exchange a long strip of white linen 
stitched with green and red— the Mahdi's colors — to 
wind round their loins and throw over their shoulders, 
a pair of leather sandals for their feet, and a gray 
felt cap, round which is wound a bit of green and 
red rag, to replace the fez. When thus arrayed in 
the orthodox costume prescribed by the Prophet of 
the Soudan they were made to recite the confession 
of faith, and kiss the Ameer's hands. Each of them 
then received from him two spears, with which they 
were told to strike the ground three times while 
uttering the Sacramental war-cry of the Mahdi's fol- 
lowers, ^JFih zebu Allah ^ ('For the cause of God'). 
Immediately after the ceremony, however, the spears 
were taken away from them again, probably from 
prudential considerations." 

After a few weeks of irksome bondage, " they were 
told to proceed with the Ameer to the Mahdi's camp, 
which they joined, a few days' march from Khar- 
toum. The Mahdi, who is always styled by his fol- 
lowers * Se'idna el Imamn ' (' Our Lord the Imaum 
or Prince of the Faith'), appears to have received 
them with consideration. A tent was assigned to 
them, and an allowance was made to them of fifteen 
dollars a month per head from the Beit-ul-Mal, 
Moreover, the Mahdi's personal influence was always 
exercised to protect them against the ill-will of his 
over-zealous followers, many of whom were, as is 



NOTES. 105 

usual in such cases, plus Royalistes que le JRoi, 
Some of the leading lights in the Mahdi's camp, for 
instance, were much scandalized by the fact that 
these converts to Islam had not been duly circum- 
cised, but the Mahdi promptly silenced the grumblers 
by receiving an opportune revelation that circum- 
cision was not compulsory on adult converts. He 
occasionally favored them with his conversation, and 
used to make numerous inquiries about Constanti- 
nople, which, after Cairo and Mecca, seems to be the 
goal of his ambition, though, as he places it on the 
confines of Hindostan, his geographical notions are 
evidently eccentric." 

Setting aside the liberty the Mahdi takes, after the 
example of Mahomet, as to the number of his wives, 
he submits to all the privations which he imposes on 
his followers. Tobacco and intoxicating liquors are 
absolutely forbidden; the sumptuary laws are very 
strict, and even the possession of any Egyptian or 
European article of dress is punished with a given 
number of strokes from the kurbash. All taxes, 
even the dime of the Koran, are abolished, the con- 
fiscation of Christian property, contributions from 
merchants, and pillage, being made to supply the 
Beit-ul-Mal, or public treasury, on which the people 
live. Every trace of administration has been ban- 
ished in favor of the dictation of the Emirs, who 
are generally relations or intimate friends of the 
Mahdi. 

70. Or for nine years. Mahomet is supposea to 



106 NOTES. 

have said: " The Mahdi shall be of my people; if he 
is to make a short stay (among you) he will remain 
seven (years), if not (he will remain) nine. During 
this time my people shall enjoy well-being the like 
of which has never before been known; the earth 
shall produce everything that is good to eat, and 
shall refuse them nothing. Silver shall be as com- 
mon as refuse ; and if any one shall say, ' Mahdi, give 
me something! ' the Mahdi shall reply, * Take what 
you want'" {ProUgomenes, 11. ITl). 

71. In India also there is an opening for a Mahdi 
as there is a Mussulman population. A Mussulman 
Mahdi would, moreover, easily find a hearing among 
the Brahmin population, for modern Brahminism has 
its Mahdi — Vishnu in his last and not yet manifested 
Avatar, the Avatar of Kalkl. At the end of time 
Vishnu is to be born of a priestly family, under the 
name of Kalki, and he will come on a white horse, 
with a flaming sword in hjs hand, to exterminate the 
barbarians. This conception, which does not appear 
to be of very ancient Indian origin, probably arose 
from the Perso-Mussulman idea of a Messiah — an 
idea brought into India by the conquering Mussul- 
mans. 

In 1810 a Mahdi appeared at the little town of 
Bodhan, about fifteen miles from Surat. He sent to 
the governor, Mr. Crow, the following missive, sum- 
moning him to become a convert: 

" To all counsellors, and the Hakim of Surat, be it 

« 

known that the Emaumul Deen of the end of the 



NOTES. 107 

world, or Emaum Mehdee,* has now published him- 
self, and the name of this Durveish is Ahmud; and 
that in the Hindevie they call him Rajah Nukluk. 
Be it further known to you that if the Esslaum (the 
Mahometan faith) is accepted, it is better; otherwise 
empty the town, or, on the contrary, you may pre- 
pare for battle. This fakir is now come down from 
the fourth sky, Avith four bodies, combining Adam 
(on whom be peace !), Essah, the son of Mariama 
(Jesus, the Son of Mary), and Ahmud (on whom be 
peace !) ; and they have all four come upon one place; 
they have no guns nor muskets with them, but a 
stick and a handkerchief are with me — be yourself 
prepared." — Dated 11th Zilhij, corresponding with 
17th January, 1810. H. G. Briggs, Cities of Gujar- 
dshtra. Part II., Appendix. 

The author of this strange epistle was attacked at 
Bodhan by two squadrons, and killed with a few 
hundred of his followers fighting desperately for the 
new faith. 

72. [John, the present King of Abyssinia, boasts a 
direct descent from King Solomon, and, although a 
Christian, is so proud of this, that he endeavors in 
every possible way to imitate his august ancestor. 
Some years ago he founded an Order which he called 
" Chatem Suleiman" — Solomon's Seal, and he com- 
missioned an Italian, Signor Nardi, to execute for 
him a throne which was to be an exact copy of Solo- 

* The Imam eddin, the chief of leligion, or Imam Mahdi. 



108 NOTES. 

mon's famous throne, pictures of which are extant in 
Abyssinian books. This throne has recently been 
completed, and great rejoicings were held at its in- 
auguration. It is made of silver gilt, as the required 
gold was probably beyond the means of his sable 
majesty's treasury. — A. S. B.] 



APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX. 

By Ada S. Ballin, Aulhor of a " Hebrew Grammar." 



A. 

THE MAHDI OF 1884-5. 

Of the private life of Ahmed Mohammed, the 
Mahdi of 1884, but little is known. He lives simply, 
and himself observes the strict discipline which he 
imposes on his follow^ers, over whom he exercises 
a paternal influence. He, however, exceeds in the 
number of his wives the orthodox four prescribed in 
the Koran; but in this he only imitates the example 
of Mahomet, who, as far as regards women, seemed 
rather to urge his people to " do as I say, not as I 
do," on the "preach but don't practise" principle. 
He is, nevertheless, extremely consistent in support- 
ing his own dignity, and in his endeavors to impose 
his religion not only on the Arabs, but also upon 
Europeans. The following letters w^ill illustrate this 
characteristic. The first was addressed by him to 



113 APPE]S"DIX. 

the population of Arabia * in the form of a procla- 
mation : 

" Before God and the Prophet, I declare that I did 
not take up»the sword to found a kingdom on earth, 
or to gather treasures for myself and live in a fine 
palace; but to bring consolation and succor to the 
faithful; to deliver them from bondage; and in order 
that the reign of the Moslems should shine forth 
once more in* its ancient splendor. I am therefore 
resolved to advance from Khartoum on Dongola, 
Cairo, and Alexandria, and in each of those cities to 
hand over the power and government to the Mos- 
lems. I shall march from Egypt to the Land of 
the Prophet, to drive out the Turks, who govern 
no better than the unbelievers, and I shall transfer 
the country, with its two holy towns, to the sons of 
Ismael*. Be assured, O ye sons of Ismael ! that in a 
little time I will be with you, sword in hand." 

The second was brought to Sir Charles Wilson, on 
January 29th, by a dervish bearing a flag of truce. 
It ran thus: 

" The Mahdi's Letter. 

"In the name of the merciful God ! Thanks for 
the honorable God and prayers be to our Apostle 
Mahomed. 

* See Daily Telegraph, March 24, 1885. 



APPENDIX. 113 

"From the poor servant of God, Mohamed El 
Mahdi, son of Abdullah, to the English officers 
and the Shaggieh and all their followers. 

" First thing, surrender yourselves and you will be 
safe. I briefly tell you, perhaps God will direct you 
in the way of the righteous. Let it be known to you 
that the city of Khartoum and all the neighborhood 
thereof has been destroyed by the power of God Al- 
mighty, which no one can oppose. This thing was 
done through us ; everything is now in our hands. As 
long as you are a small force and very likely in our 
hands you can do whatever you like, either give your- 
selves up and prevent bloodshed of the servants of 
the creatures of God, who are in your hands, and the 
grace and the peace of God and his Apostle will settle 
upon you. If you do not believe what I have writ- 
ten, and you want to know the reality about Khar- 
toum, send a special messenger from yourselves to 
come here and assure yourselves of the truth of the 
information, and the peace of God and his Apostle be 
with your messenger. We shall not kill you till he 
comes here and sees all about the matter for himself, 
and we will send him back with a safe escort from us. 
As God says in his precious Book, ' If any of the un- 
godly come to you, you must keep him safely until 
he listens to the words of God, and then do for him 
whatever he wishes.' If, on the other hand, you like 
to fight, we shall not oppose your wish. If it were 
not that we pity you, we would not have written this 
letter to you. If you yield, you should know that the 



114 APPENDIX. 

peace of God will settle upon you, and you will be 
saved from all hurt. If you do not wish to yield, you 
shall be punished in this world and the next. It is 
known that victory is for the believers. You must 
not be proud of your steamers and many other things. 
If you do not yield to my advice you shall repent. 
You must be quick, or your wings will be cut. A 
man who guides the people in the right way, God 
will guide him also aright. 

" 11th Rabbeah Tani, 1302. 

" P.S. — No God but one God. Mohamed is the 
Apostle of God. 

" Mohamed El Mahdi, Son of Abdullah." 

The Mahdi has accomplished the nationalization of 
the land, and abolished rents and taxes, his Treasure 
House (see note 69) being replenished by plunder 
from the enemy, property confiscated from " unbe- 
lievers," voluntary offerings, and forced contributions, 
chiefly obtained from merchants. Apparently he has 
recently been somewhat in difiiculties as regards 
money, for a telegram from Dongola dated April 20, 
1885, says: 

" The Arabs on the White Nile, above Khartoum, 
are said to be deserting the Mahdi, who is robbing 
every one possessed of anything worth seizing." 

The rebellion which broke out against him in the 
early part of April, under the leadership of a Sheikh, 
named Migummi, had its origin in a quarrel about 
treasure. A telegram from Cairo, dated April 20th, 



APPENDIX. 115 

stated that : " The rebel troops have left Berti and 
Sani for Berber, which is in open rebellion against the 
Mahdi." 

It is quite in harmony with what we have learnt 
from" the preceding pages, that another Mahdi should 
arise to dispute the claims of Ahmed Mohammed, by 
proclaiming him to be Deddjld, the false prophet, who 
is to precede the true Mahdi. This we find had ac- 
tually happened, and a letter dated March 12th, from 
El-Obeid, has been published in an Arab newspaper 
describing the triumphal entry into that town of 
Muley Hassan Ali, the so-called Anti-Mahdi. He 
was mounted on a white horse, holding a drawn sword 
in his right hand, which he declared to have been given 
to him by Mahomet, in order to kill Mohammed 
Ahmed and drive the Infidels out of Egypt. He was 
accompanied by the Dervish of El-Obeid, and followed 
by prisoners and his adherents also bearing drawn 
swords. As he passed along the people bowed down 
before him, kissing the ground and invoking blessings 
on his head. He entered the mosque and remained 
there some time in j^rayer. During this time a mound 
of earth was raised outside, and on it was placed a 
translation of the Koran, given by Mohammed Ahmed 
to the Dervish of El-Obeid, with injunctions that it 
was to be presented to Muley Hassan Ali, with the 
object of converting him. 

" When the Anti-Mahdi came out of the mosque he 
addressed the people, saying he hoped soon to fulfil 
the mission entrusted to him by the Prophet, and to 



116 APPENDIX. 

expose and punisli the impostor who had sent him a 
false translation of the Koran. The Dervish then 
handed him a torch, with which he set fire to the 
document." 

Later reports state that the two Mahdis have met 
in battle for the second time, with the result that the 
original Mahdi was defeated and lost two of his pro- 
vincial governors. Should these reports be true, 
Ahmed Mohammed will soon go to swell the list of 
false prophets, and Muley Hassan All's star will be in 
the ascendant until he in turn falls, to give place to 
another ; for, as has already been observed, a Mahdi 
can only exist as long as he is successful. 



B. 

THE SIEGE OF KHARTOUM. 

So few have been the particulars concerning this 
memorable siege which have yet reached the British 
public, that any which appear are endowed with a 
value perhaps higher than they intrinsically merit, 
and I therefore feel justified in quoting those which 
have come to hand. According to the interesting 
article published in the Standard for March 4th (see 
note 69) — 

" The number of fighting men congregated before 
Khartoum seems to have been very fluctuating, sink- 



APPENDIX. 117 

ing sometimes to seven or eight thousand, and again 
rising to forty and fifty thousand, according to the 
seasons and the requirements of agricultural pursuits, 
as no impediment was ever placed in the way of their 
going off, sometimes for weeks together — the fella- 
heen to look after their crops and harvests, the Be- 
douins to graze their camels, and their flocks and 
herds. When in camp their time was wholly devoted 
to prayers, recitations from the Koran, and sham 
fights, often on a large scale. The actual number of 
properly drilled and disciplined troops, chiefly blacks 
from El-Obeid, was relatively very small, nor did 
they seem to be implicitly trusted by the Mahdi. On 
the other hand, the enthusiasm of the Dervishes, as 
the Mahdi's true followers are styled, appeared to -be 
wrought up to the highest pitch by the Prophet's 
fervent preachings, and to be in no way abated by 
the repeated checks they experienced before Omdur- 
man." 

Thus much for those outside the city ; but more 
fraught with interest for the English is what went on 
inside its walls. The military correspondent of the 
Daily Neics was fortunate enough to encounter at 
Korti an Egyptian who had formed one of the garri- 
son and to obtain from him the following narrative 
which there is reason to believe is authentic* 

* By kind permission of tlic manager of tlie Daily JVews 
I am enabled to reprint the following interesting narrative, 
wliich appeared in tlie form of letters published in the issues 
of that paper on April 16th and 22d. 



118 APPENDIX. 

" We had a grand illumination the night Gordon 
arrived. If all Christians were like him all men 
would become Nazarah ; but you do not follow the 
teachings of your own Prophet as we Mussulmans do. 
Gordon told us he had come to save us. The officials 
and Greeks illuminated their houses as you saw Khar- 
toum illuminated on the anniversary of the restora- 
tion of the 'Eifendina' (Khedive), and every native 
Soudanese, however poor, lit his lamp; but soon bad 
tidings came day by day of the approach of the 
cursed Arabs. Soon we saw them, first in small 
bodies at a distance, and then in large ones. They 
had been hovering around us a long time before the 
Pacha arrived. 'Now Gordon set every man to work; 
he threw up a long parapet with a deep trench from 
the Bahr-el-Abiad to the Bahr-el-Azrek, and he built 
round towers on it and made one iron gate. He did 
not turn put Arabs from dwelling in Khartoum; 
there were none there, though we had many traitors. 
They were known to the Pacha, but he said, 'Let 
them alone; at the end they shall be punished.* 
Among these was the principal baker. At first na- 
tives used to bring in provisions every day through 
the gate Gennet, in the Mogr quarter, near Gennet- 
el-Noor (the Garden of Light). The boats crossed 
over there by the dockyard, and brought from the 
country all sorts of provisions. You remember when 
you lay sick at Gordon's old house over the post- 
office, how refreshing was the sight at early morning 
of boatloads of huge sweet water-melons. The boats 



APPENDIX. 119 

continued to bring across their cargoes for the two 
months when melons are in season (May and June). 
What splendid piles they made on the shore ! No 
wonder you were tempted to eat of them, in spite of 
the order of Georgio Demetrio, the doctor. I tell you, 
he remained at Khartoum to the last. Many houses 
belonged to him, and he had families by three wives. 
Gordon used to say to all who wanted to leave, ' Stay, 
my friends. The English are coming.' That hand- 
some girl of sixteen, his daughter, remained; so did 
the German tailor, Herr Klein, and his wife and 
pretty daughter. He had resided twenty-five years 
there. I cannot say who the European women were 
that left in the steamer with Colonel Stewart, or 
whether any did. 

" Soon after Gordon's arrival Sheikh Wad-abou- 
Gurgy made three forts opposite Khartoum on the 
Bahr-el-Azrek ; for the time was now at hand when 
we were to be beleaguered. In these he placed three 
cannon, for his designs were evil — he was rebellious. 
These forts were near the gardens of Boussi, and now 
he"piled up outside great pyramids of dhoora, three 
times higher than the forts themselves. When these 
things were related to Gordon in the early morn (for 
these piles were made at night) he despatched three 
steamers, the Boudain, the Mansoua^ and the Tala- 
lioioen; these fired first ball, then shell, to knock 
down walls, and they succeeded. Mahomet Ali 
Pacha, commanding ships, ran ashore, and landed 
troops, while shrapnel was covered to command their 



120 APPENDIX. 

advance. The black soldiers then stormed the fort, 
while the Bashi-Bazouks took the outer circle. Many 
Arabs were killed, and all the dhoora captured and 
ammunition. After Moulid (anniv. birth Mahomet) 
Wad Sheikh El Obeid came opposite Khartoum to 
the other side of Bahr-el-Azrek, and encamped on 
this isle. Gordon Pacha sent for the troops under 
Hassein Abraham and Mahomet Abu Said, who had 
been made pachas by Gordon Pacha. You remem- 
ber large domes seen from your window over the 
Post-office — taib; those were sepulchres of mighty 
sheikhs of former days. One Englishman was buried 
there too. Why not ? Directly we landed we 
formed a four-deep square, such a formation as you 
know we always kept when marching with Hicks 
Pacha. Was it ever broken when we marched from 
Rawa to Gebelain? You know it was not — taib. 
Even so we marched boldly from shore One gun is 
at an angle of the square. They charged us furious- 
ly; but, ha ! how they scampered ! Shattered was 
that great band of rebels ! It was near that spot we 
did battle with the rebel; the place was called Ma- 
laah. It was higher up than the island of Tuti. We 
had 500 men. Now I must tell you of a wicked act 
of treachery. Landing from the steamers we at once 
attack the enemy. They run, routed, on account of 
our furious fire; but now what I have to relate fills 
my heart with grief. The traitor Abraham takes off 
his tarbash, puts it in his breast, from which he takes 
a dervish's cap, putting it on his head. Next to this 



APPENDIX. 121 

what does he do ? He gallops up to the bugler, and 
tells him to sound the *kus-rah' ('retreat'; this in 
military Turkish signifies defeat). The brave boy 
refused, and said, 'Pacha, we are not defeated; and 
I will not sound as you order.' Then he cleaves the 
brave boy's head with his scimitar, and smites others 
who would not turn. Now, when our enemies see 
these things come to pass, they, who had been in fear 
and trembling, gain heart, return, and attack us 
again. We become disorganized — why not ? We 
fly back to the outworks and huts we had left, close 
to the cemetery. But we did not let the traitorous 
Pacha escape. We circle round his horse and com- 
pel him to retire with us ; much does he struggle, beg, 
and protest; he had endeavored to escape; but es- 
cape for him was not. I cannot tell you what the 
other Pacha did; I did not observe; but this man — 
maledictions on his soul ! ma yeshuf el noem — may 
he never see luxury ! (paradise) — slew several of our 
soldiers. But we were too quick for him; we brought 
him back, bound hand and foot. 

"Now all these things (continued my informant), 
and how the traitorous Pacha had been the cause of 
our disgrace, Gordon Pacha had spied from the top 
of his house. He was much grieved; and when the 
wicked Pachas, who were both guilty, were brought 
bound, as I said, hand and foot before him, he spake 
never a word except ' Away with them ! ' He was 
reading Holy Writ at the time. They were tried by 
court-martial, and sentenced to death. Seven days 



122 APPEN"DIX. 

afterwards they were executed in tlie inner yard, near 
the large square of the prison. They were hewn in 
pieces by a halbert. I saw the execution, so it is of 
no use your saying ' they were shot.' I tell you, ac- 
cording to Turkish military law, a military traitor is 
always sentenced to be cut to pieces. The two were 
bound up against the wall by chains and rings. Two 
soldiers armed with sharp hatchets approached them 
from out of the sides of the square we had formed. 
The prisoners' crime was read out, and their sentence. 
A hundred soldiers were present, some senior officers, 
but not Gordon Pacha. The senior Bey cried out, ' Ex- 
ecutioners perform sentence on the traitors ! ' Imme- 
diately these advanced close, and lopped off first their 
arms above the elbows, then the legs above the knees, 
then cut their bodies in twain, then decapitated them. 
They died not till they were cut asunder; then their 
heads fell on their breasts, and they expired with a 
hideous yell. Surely their fate was deserved ! I can- 
not say whether Gordon Pacha knew of this manner 
of execution. I tell you this is the Turkish mode of 
punishing military traitors, and it is a just punishment. 
"You would like to know the story of our lives 
from day to day, but every day was like yester- 
day, and yesterday and to-day like to-morrow; there- 
fore perhaps I do not tell you correctly in order as 
things occurred. Who could ? There were days and 
nights of watching; we were like dogs guarding 
sheepfolds from the wolf or hyena; but we were 
not down-hearted. Gordon kept saying to us, * Pa- 



APPENDIX. 123 

tience, the English are coming — are coming. God 
watches over you.' He was a good man. *My faith 
in God never fails,' he said; 'neither let yours.' In 
the morning the band would play to him early as he 
used to sit in the kiosque you will remember across 
the road at the wall, over the Nile. He took his 
coffee there; he then walked up and down on the top 
of his house. After this he commenced the business 
of the day in the rooms of the first story of the Pal- 
ace. Many officials now visited him; among others 
the big European Doctor, Macolopo Bey, the Austrian 
and French Consuls, Georgio Demetrio (the Doctor), 
the Mudir of the Mudireah, Ali Jeleb, and the Yakeel 
Mahomet Abdullah. The former stayed to the last; 
the other was killed with Gordon. Then came the 
chief butchers and bakers. Often a woman visited 
him called Zenoba. She was A'ery wealthy; she used 
to pay into the Mudireah some sixty or seventy 
thousand dollars at a time; lent to Government 
on Gordon's security or note of hand. She owned 
many shops, mills, and nuggars. She was an Egyp- 
tian, wife of Hadj Mahomet, wood-turner. Suleiman 
Esyah, too, a chief merchant in Khartoum, used to 
lend money. He occupied two houses in the upper 
market. After this, at mid-day, Gordon Pacha took 
his lunch. Business was renewed in the afternoon. 
At evening time he would ride along the intrench- 
ments from Blue to White Nile. The enemy were 
always firing in a desultory way. By accident peo- 
ple used to be hit day after day. 



124 APPENDIX. . 

"Soldiers lined the trenches all day and night. 
There were four guns there, two pointing towards 
Bahr Ahead, one facing from the iron gate near the 
cemetery, one facing the village of Burdi. Of the 
crowds of blacks you speak of living in the poor 
quarters of Khartoum Gordon made soldiers. All 
men were compelled to carry arms, regular soldiers 
got rations of dhoora, the others got Government bis- 
cuit. We were always expecting, from dawn to sun- 
set, from sunset to dawn, the arrival of the English. 
Whenever we heard news of them our hearts rejoiced. 
The Arabs have a fear of the English, dating back 
from the time of Arabi's defeat. They believe they 
carry with them a piece of wood which they can ex- 
tend to any height, that up this they climb, and spy 
their enemies at any distance.* Now this I tell you, 
their terror of you is so great that they will never 
face you again. The sheikhs have informed Mahomet 
Achmet that unless he leads them forth to do battle 
they will not fight; this is since the battle of Abou 
Tlea — not Klea — as you called it. All were at first 
loyal in Khartoum, except a, few of the head men — 
such as the chief baker and butcher; but Gordon, 
who well knew these men to be traitors, said, ' Suffer 
them to remain on at their work; we will show them 
what justice is when the English come.' As time 
wore on and provisions were become short by reason 
of the strictness of the siege — for the Arabs were 

* This idea they get probably from the Heliograph. 



APPENDIX. 1 25 

closing around — Gordon sent away all the old men 
and women who were nnable to work, out of Khar- 
toum; they were afraid to go at first, but Gordon 
gave them an introduction to Mahomet Achmet, writ- 
ing as follows: * Be kind to these; treat them well, I 
charge you. Behold, I have kept and fed all these 
for four months; try how you will like doing so for 
one month.' * Mahomet Achmet accepted them, and 
they are with him to this day. 

"As it was at the time of the Tou el Kebeah (great 
flood); as it will be at El Achrah (last day); as it 
has often been when in cities of the earth enemies 
have been knocking at the gate Avithout, they bought 
and sold; they married and were given in marriage; 
yes, there were the usual nuj)tial rejoicings — the bride 
soon, alas, to be sold into slavery! Mashallah! It was 
their kismet. There were the same gatherings round 
fires you remember witnessing when the Ihrunnahgah 
(dancing girls) danced in the middle their ghan-ah- 
ghat to the tune of the terbukat. The festivities and 
feastings took place nightly. The Soudanese are a 



* This was told me on two different occasions by more than 
three Bishareen Arabs who had come from Onderman — the 
same who told me of Gordon's fights; but it was thought most 
improbable by the military authorities — and it was not thought 
desirable to telegraph this. I therefore withdrew the news 
from my telegram. I have since had confirmation of this from 
good authorities who were in Khartoum, and who told me of 
Ibis unasked. I am aware there is no mention of this in Gor- 
don's diary. 



126 APPENDIX. 

light-hearted people even when a cloud hangs over 
them. You would have thought nothing was going 
amiss. It is true they believed the English were 
coming. Spirits were sold at high prices; date-spirit 
two reals a pint bottle; vermouth, two and a half. 
Meanwhile nothing was bought from outside; noth- 
ing brought in. The town was surrounded before 
the big feast, Eade-el-Kebar. 

" I cannot say when, for one day was the same 
as the other, but one day Gordon saw coming from 
afar two foot-messengers across the desert from the 
Bahr Abiad from opposite El Kalakli. He ordered 
the sentinels to let them pass in peace. They waved 
a white flag, and cried, ' Salamu ah la cum.' They 
said they were ambassadors from Wad-el-Jumma, 
Ameer of Mahomet Achmet. We replied in words 
signifying, ' Peace and mercy of God.' Gordon had 
them escorted to the Palace, and made them par- 
take of coffee, and sit down on a carpet prepared 
for them, as is the custom. They produced two 
dervishes' coats and one cap, a rosary, and sandals. 
* These,' said they, ' are sent by Wad-el-Jumma, 
Ameer of our Lord, the long-expected one.' They 
had a letter beginning *Hod dale wah dolan.' This 
was the sense of it : ' Take these and Islam, and go 
home to your country — you and the sons of Errect 
(Egypt), and leave Soudan (Country of the Blacks) 
to its relations (literal) ; and on you be the safety of 
God and the Prophet; and we will lower you (let 
you down) with safety (i.e., in good faith).' Gor- 



APPENDIX. 127 

don took these things and gave them a koflan (robe), 
pair of boots, tarbash (red fez with blue tassel), and 
waist-vest, typical of Egyptian costume, saying, 
*Give these to Wad-el-Jumma. Tell him, Islam 
enter the Government, as you are a coward (literally 
man frightened).' He added, ' The other man is a 
clever man and brave.' These men were dressed as 
dervishes. Gordon gave them twenty-five dollars 
backshesh. As they left they said, ' Remember we 
have plenty of soldiers and Arabs.' At this time 
Mahomet Achmet was at El-Obeid. The 'other 
man,' he alluded to, Wad-Abou Gergee, had brought 
1,000 men to Gordon. Before this Gordon went out 
to fight him, and beat him near the outer gardens of 
Bouri; he took all their dhoora and arms. Wad- 
Abou-Gergee kept on writing to Gordon, negotiating 
a surrender. These 1,000 soldiers got into Khar- 
toum. Why did he not come in himself ? Because 
he stayed out to entice others in — mixed Egyptians, 
Soudanese, and Turkish soldiers drilled by Turks. 
But Wad-Abou- Gergee was played a shabby trick 
by two men, Soudanese, named Wade Jerkock, a 
merchant, and Wad-ma-quoi, chief butcher. These 
wrote to Wad-el-Jumma, saying, 'O Sheikh, Wad- 
Abou-Gergee has given the Turks 1,000 men and 
arms (all Egyptians are called Turks).' When Wad- 
el-Jumma read this he was wroth, and, catching 
Wad-Abou-Gergee, enchained him. The messengers 
were dismissed at the gate Bawabit-el-Mussel La- 
mieh; Gordon made it near Boussi. 



128 APPENDIX. 

" I would now tell you of the battle of El-effoon, 
two days' march towards Sennaar. Sheikh El-Obeid 
(?), Mahomed All Pacha, commanded. I went up 
with the soldiers to battle with 500 Bashi-Bazouks. 
On the first day we found Arabs in a building, and 
drove them out. On the second day we were march- 
ing up to a village called Omdoban (Mother of 
Flies). We attacked the rebels under a dervish, and 
firing killed many. But we were charged by cavalry 
and foot. Many of us were then slain. Abou Ger- 
gee and Wed Nejiim (Son of the Stars) encamped 
on the sand south of Khartoum. Three months 
after Gordon arrived these men sat down before the 
place. Two sorties were made, and many of them 
killed. During this time we got forage for our 
horses from Tuti. Our guns could play on the 
island. From there, too, melons and cucumbers were 
brought. And now I would tell you about the 
steamers. One plied between the rocks — En Mogrin 
and Khartoum — with one gun. The Arabs intended 
putting wires across the river at Gebel Ain; but the 
force of the water broke these. Gordon did not cut 
them. Behind the trenches were tents, one for 
twenty-four men; one man kept guard at the trench 
for the twenty-four; thus we lived, eat, drank, slept, 
prayed, day and night. 

*' We were besieged thrice, and thrice we defeated 
the enemy. We killed many when we attacked Om- 
durman, but more came on like swarms of flies. 
Having killed some, their numbers were forthwith 
trebled. 



APPENDIX. 129 

" I forgot to say how Omdurman was taken from 
us. It was thus: Hicks Pacha built a big trench 
round it — well, perhaps it was there when you came. 
Gordon built an inner one; or perhaps it was the 
reverse. At any rate there were two rings. The 
rebels crept in between the two and were thus pro- 
tected. Then they cut off the little garrison's water. 
Thus was Omdurman taken. 

" Gordon lived alone with his servant in his pal- 
ace. Power Bey lived in the Genesi (church of the 
Roman Catholic mission) to guard the ammunition 
which was kept in the cloisters. He superintended 
the making of powder. Colonel Stewart used to 
superintend the taking out of the powder and its dis- 
tribution, and was also engaged in looking out. 
Such was our daily occupation in that city, whose 
kismet was already written. 

"Yes; they used to fish, as in your time, with 
hooks and nets, and catch those great fish with heads 
like cats and long whiskers — the kabaross. (This is 
a common fish in the Upper Nile; they call it 'cat- 
fish,' from its head, I believe. It is, I think, a kind 
of barbel, and when dressed well is of a very fair 
taste.) You could put one on a homar (ass). You 
could rest its head on the donkey's head, and its tail 
on the animal's tail. There was also the el edgil 
(calf -fish). 

" We had still tobacco and shoes, for there were 
shoemakers in the city. We strolled when off duty 
through the bazaar as usual. Some would gamble 



130 APPEN^DIX. 

with dominoes; some drink merissa, and the young 
men would dress to please the young girls — ^with 
cane under arm and cigarette in mouth. Bargains 
would be struck, and houses sold, as jf the end was 
not. I am told it has been so with gre'at cities in 
time of siege. It was so, a Jew told me, with his 
city in Syria. Do not blame me when I dwell on 
this: I am a different man. Have I not lost a wife — 
I had only one — and children ? With the young 
girls, too, there was plaiting of hair and anointing 
with butter, and ornamenting necks, ankles, and 
arms with gold chains and shells. They would sit 
in the bazaar selling onions and eggs and melons, and 
butter and sweetmeats up to the day I left, and 
would laugh and joke with their admirers, and court- 
ship would go on, like butterflies, heedless. 

"We went to mosque, too, crowds of us, and the 
* zikkah ' was said (in remembrance). We pray for 
departed spirits — that they may be in luxury. Why 
not ? 

" Gordon's paper notes went round like cash. They 
were looked upon as money. They were mostly one- 
piastre notes ; others for five and ten piastres (a real, 
or guinea) up to five hundred piastres. All mine are 
gone. I spent them in the desert, where I would buy 
water, a cup for ten piastres. 

" The schools went on as usual, Mohammedan; also 
at the Genesi, till the priests (Italian) left. The little 
German tailor, Klein, remained till the last; twenty- 
five years had he resided in Khartoum. His wife and 



APPENDIX. 131 

four daughters remained too. They did not go with 
Stewart, I am sure. 

" There were several white women there when I 
left — daughters of Europeans by Abyssinian wives, 
whom they had bought. There were two or three 
ladies at the Austrian Consul's. I think all these had 
so many family ties they would not leave ; besides, 
Gordon always said, *The English are coming.' 

" I do not know that your coming would have 
altered matters ; for this I tell you advisedly — the 
will of God says it. 

" There were traitors in our midst ; they met and 
took counsel together against Gordon Pacha. He 
was warned, but said, * Suffer it to be so.' 

" The plan was to deliver over the city whenever 
the English drew near. The number of traitors in- 
creased daily as they got hopeless. Another thing, 
and this decided many: after the battle of Abou Tlea 
the rebels went down and collected all the helmets 
they could find. They showed these to us, waving 
them outside the trenches and saying, *Thus and 
thus have we eaten up the Feringhees.' Thus even 
faithful men were sorely tempted and became sick at 
heart. 

"At night the enemy used to be often at the south 
end, at speaking distance ; and we used to revile each 
other. We were called the cursed rebels who speak 
evil of the fathers and mothers to the third and fourth 
generation. We would call them 'sons of dogs' 
(wadho kelps) (I should think our word whelp comes 



132 APPEN-DIX. 

from this), and shout, * Allah bou rou Gehenna, ye 
rebellious ones ; malediction on your fathers ; depart 
to Gehenna ; ' and they would answer, ^ Ye are slaves 
of the Infidels ; ye too are Infidels, as you do not be- 
lieve in our book. We will eat you up, and wipe you 
from the face of the earth of Allah.' 

" Thus and thus did we call out to each other dur- 
ing the long night. 

" The English stayed too long at Matumna ; per- 
haps had they gone on at once the gates would not 
have been opened ; but still I tell you treachery was 
planned long before. The rebels came over at night ; 
or at any rate before dawn, when Tenza and another 
opened the gate. 

"The last river trip was made by Tujerat Ma- 
haba. He had on board two Krupp guns. He started 
at seven a.m. ; at ten he met a nuggar full of rebels. 
They had a gun. They fired at each other for an 
hour. At last the rebel boat sunk. He was still 
under a heavy fire till he reached Shembat. At 
Bou the rebels had one Krupp, four guns higher up, 
and one mitrailleuse or Nordenf eldt. He ran aground. 
Here he is — he will tell you the story." 

A tall, stout black here entered my tent (writes the 
correspondent), and kissed my hand. He wore naval 
uniform — three stripes on arm, and Gordon's medal. 

" Ha !" I said, referring to these, " you at least have 
kept yours." The others had been selling their lead 
medals given by Gordon in camp. I deprecated this 
much ; but the reply I invariably met with was — " If 
I don't buy it, some one else will." 



APPENDIX. 133 

*'I," said the captain (he was the chief of all the 
boats), " would not part with mine for £1,000." He 
continued : 

" The last words Gordon said were, * Bring the 
English when you come back, if only three or four;' 
but I was never to see him more. I have left my wife 
and children at Khartoum! He has told you I sank 
the rebel vessel. Well, I was fired at from all direc- 
tions. I rammed her. I had 150 soldiers on board; 
she had plenty. Down they all went — it was a glori- 
ous sight ! None escaped. On passing Rezaree I 
was fired at by 150 riflemen, but continued my voy- 
age till I got to ,Gebel-el-Sheikh-el-Taeb (the good 
Sheikh). The shots fell short. On the river, near 
Mashed-el-Hamar (donkey's pasture) — six hours from 
Khartoum — I went upon a rock; then three mountain 
guns opened fire on me. Three hours afterwards 
three steamers came, the Boiidain, Telehowah 
Tepagny^ and Sophia. Troops were landed, and we 
killed many Arabs. I used to be captain of Hicks 
Pacha's ship, and flew the Pacha's flags. Many 
times I have taken you down to Omdurman, and I saw 
you up at Kowa, but you were on shore. General 
Hicks was very kind, but I was a small Reiss then. 
If Gordon had lived I should have become as high as 
this tree — pooh! I have left a thousand of Gordon's 
notes at Khartoum with my family, and all my clothes. 

"Latterly the chief men of the town were traitors; 
all were concerned in opening the gates. They were 
afraid of starving. This I tell you, and I do not lie. 



134 APPENDIX. 

All the white and all the black women are now made 
slaves. My poor wife, I shall never see her again. 
When I say white I mean also those whose mothers 
were Abyssinian and fathers European, and there were 
some Turkish ladies who wore the achmet, wives of 
officers; all will now be slaves. I have finished. I 
must leave you." 

He had to present himself to Captain Baker, R.N., 
who himself was with Sir Samuel Baker up the Nile. 

Sergeant-Major Hannoar, of the Commissariat, was 
enabled to assist in interpreting, he having a perfect 
knowledge of the language, as they spoke. He is the 
clever son of a missionary, and was born near Jerusa- 
lem. He is extremely able, speaking five languages. 
I trust he may rise, as a useful man such as he is 
not met with every day. 

My interview for the time was now over, and the 
two gallant men took their departure, seeming de- 
pressed and sorrowful. These men had a genuine 
love for Gordon; you could feel this in every word 
when they referred to him. " Ah !" they would ejacu- 
late, "no one like him on this earth." 



THE ENDo 



WHAT SOCIAL CLASSES OWE TO 
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II., pp., viii., 288. 8vo, Cloth, $3 00. 

No English autobiography with which we are acquainted is compar- 
able with Sir Henry Taylor's book in respect of simplicity, sincerity, and 
candor. With a modesty that is never strained or misplaced, with a 
frank recognition of his own earnest efforts to do praiseworthy things, 
and a just appraisement of the measure of success attending them, with- 
out the faintest indication of a wish to disparage the talents or the tri- 
umphs of other men, or to depict himself as greater or better than he 
was, the author in his green old age tells the story of a busy, useful, 
and interesting life, which has had its share of honor, and will leave be- 
hind it fruitage of a rare and sterling sort. — N. T. Sun. 

In the midst of so much that is necessarily inharmonious and provoca- 
tive of envy, malice, and all uncharitableness, in the avalanche of personal 
detail, it is delightful to come upon an autobiography like this of Sir 
Henry Taylor's, with its panorama of life critically yet kindly presented. 
. . . The work is thoroughly entertaining, and the entertainment is of a 
high order. One recalls what Gladstone said of Taylor, that he " only 
needed ambition to make him a great man." — Boston JSvenivg Ti'aveller. 

It is an exceptionally interesting and entertaining book, as it tells 
the history of a long life spent in many useful works, and in intimate 
connection with the important Englishmen and English events of the 
past eighty years. . . . His recollections of men and his record of the 
striking events of his time are extremely readable, and the whole book 
may be taken as a representative autobiograph}' of one of the literary 
men of the old school who did something beside write books. — Brooklyn 
Union. 

These two volumes are worthy to flank any of an autobiographical 
nature which have been published. Mr. Taylor knew all the literary and 
political lions of his time, and tells much that is new and entertaining 
about them. He is strong in the critical faculty, and makes many wise 
comments on his contemporaries. — iV. Y. Journal of Commerce. 

No other man in England, probably, or at least none who would write 
it out, possessed such an intimate personal knowledge of the conspicu- 
ous men and women of the present era. His knowledge of the literary 
world began with Southe}'^, and embraced the very youngest poets now 
writing. With novelists, historians, scientists, he had an intimate per- 
sonal relation, visiting them in their homes and receiving them in his. 
He knew the men and women of whom the world delights to hear, and 
he therefore fills many pages with interesting reminiscences. . . . The two 
volumes are certain to be widely read. — N. Y, Times. 



Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

J8Si" Habpkb & Beotheks will send the above work "by mail, postage prepaid, to any 
part of the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price. 



BOOTS AND SADDLES; 

Or, Life in Dakota with General Custer. By Mrs. Eliz- 
abeth B. Custer. With Portrait of General Custer, 
pp. 312. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. 

A book of adventure is interesting reading, especially when it is all true, 
as is the case with " Boots and Saddles." * * * She does not obtrude the 
fact that sunshine and solace went with her to tent and fort, but it in- 
heres in her narrative none the less, and as a consequence " these simple 
annals of our daily life," as she calls them, are never dull nor uninterest- 
ing. — Evangelist, N. Y. 

Mrs. Custer's book is in reality a bright and sunny sketch of the life 
of her late husband, who fell at the battle of " Little Big Horn." * * * 
After the war, when General Custer was sent to the Indian frontier, his 
wife was of the party, and she is able to give the minute story of her 
husband's varied career, since she was almost always near the scene of 
his adventures. — Brooklyn Union. 

We have no hesitation in saying that no better or more satisfactory life 
of General Custer could have been written. Indeed, we may as well 
speak the thought that is in us, and say plainly that we know of no bio- 
graphical work anywhere which we count better than this. * * * Surely the 
record of such experiences as these will be read with that keen interest 
which attaches only to strenuous human doings ; as surely we are right 
in saying that such a story of truth and heroism as that here told will 
take a deeper hold upon the popular mind and heart than any work of 
fiction can. For the rest, the narrative is as vivacious and as lightly and 
trippingly given as that of any novel. It is enriched in every chapter with 
illustrative anecdotes and incidents, and here and there a little life story 
of pathetic interest is told as an episode. — N. Y. Commercial Advertiser. 

It is a plain, straightforward story of the author's life on the plains of 
Dakota. Every member of a Western garrison will want to read this 
book ; every person in the East Avho is interested in Western life will 
want to read it, too; and every girl or boy who has a healthy appetite 
for adventure will be sure to get it. It is bound to have an army of read- 
ers that few authors can expect. — Philadelphia Press. 

These annals of daily life in the army are simple, yet interesting, and 
underneath all is discerned the love of a true woman ready for any sacri- 
fice. She touches on themes little canvassed by the civilian, and makes a 
volume equally redolent of a loving devotion to an honored husband, and 
attractive as a picture of necessary duty by the soldier. — Commonwealth, 
Boston. 

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, N. Y. 

J8®* Haepeb & Brothers will send the above, work by mail, postage prepaid^ ta any 
part of th* United States or Canada, on receipt of the price, ^ y 



FLY-RODS AND FLY-TACKLE. 

Suggestions as to their Manufacture and Use. By Henry 
P. Wells. Illustrated, pp. 364. Post 8vo, Illumi- 
nated Cloth, |2 50. 

Mr. Wells has devoted more time and attention to the materials used in 
fly-fishing than any person we know of, and his experience is well set forth 
in this most valuable book. * * * The author is an amateur rod-maker who 
has experimented with every wood known to rod manufacturers, as well as 
with some that are not known to them, and therefore he is an undoubted 
authority on the subject. This chapter and the one following, which gives 
directions in rod-making, forms the most perfect treatise on rods extant. 
* * * The book is one of great value, and will take its place as a standard 
authority on all points of which it treats, and we cannot commend it too 
highly. — Forest and /Stream^ N. Y. 

Since Izaak Walton lingered over themes piscatorial, we have learned to 
expect, in all essays on the gentle art of angling, a certain daintiness and 
elegance of literary form as well as technical utility. Publisher and author 
have co-operated to meet these traditional i^equirements in "Fly-Rods and 
Fly-Tackle." * * * Mr. Wells's competence to expound the somewhat in- 
tricate principles and delicate processes of fly-fishing will be plain to any 
reader who himself has some practical acquaintance with the art discussed. 
The value of the author's instructions and suggestions is signally enhanced 
by their minuteness and lucidity. — N. Y. Sun. 

"A complete manual for the ambitious lover of fishing for trout. * * * All 
lovers of fly-fishing should have Mr. Wells's book in their outfit for the 
sport that is near at hand. — Philadelphia Bulletin. 

Mr. Wells reveals to us the mysteries of lines, leaders, and reels, rods, 
rod material, and rod-making. He lets us into the secret of making re- 
pairs, and gives all due directions for casting the fly. * * * Moreover, Mr. 
Wells writes in an attractive style. There is a certain charm in the heart- 
iness and grace wherewith he expresses his appreciation of those beauties 
of nature which the angler has so unlimited an opportunity of enjoying. 
Thus what may be called not only a technical, but also a scientific, knowl- 
edge of his subject is combined with a keen delight in hill, stream, and for- 
est for the sake of the varied loveliness tliey display. — N. Y. Telegram. 

A book of practical hints about the manufacture and use of anglers' 
gear. Fish-hooks, lines, leaders, rods and rod-making, repairs, flies and 
fly-fishing, are among the important subjects discussed with great fulness. 
The essay on "Casting the Fly" and "Miscellaneous Suggestions" are 
rich in points for beginners. It is to the latter, and not to the experts, 
that Mr. Wells modestly dedicates his work. His object is to supply pre- 
cisely the kind of information of which he stood so much in need during 
his own novitiate. — iV. Y. Journal of Commerce. 



Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

The above work sent by mail, postage prejjaid, to any part of the United State% 
or Canada, on receipt of the price. 



HOME STUDIES IN NATUllE. 

Bv Mary Treat, Author of " Chapters on Ants," &c. Illus- 
trated, pp. 244. 12mo, Ornamental Cloth, $1 50. 

Mrs. Treat roams through the fields in search of rare knowledge about 
birds, wasps, spiders, and those wonderful plants that entrap insects and 
thrive on their juices. Her originality in these researches is undoubted, 
and she adds a great deal to our stock of facts for use in the interpreta- 
tion of nature. She has a pleasant style, and a winning knack of making 
disagreeable things seem otherwise. The pictures are many and good. — 
i\\ y. Journal of Commerce, 

A worthy {ribute from a lover of nature to the animated world about 
her. It treats of birds, insects, plants that consume animals, and flowering 
plants. It has nearly seventy handsome illustrations, and the story is told 
in fascinating and clearly-expressed language. It is an admirable work 
with which to educate a family. — Boston Commonivealth. 

To those who have given attention to the beauties of nature as devel- 
oped in the winged world and the insect and floral branches, this little 
volume will be peculiarly grateful. — Albany Press. 

Books on this subject are generally regarded by every one not profes- 
sional scientists as dreadful bores. An exception must be made, however, 
in favor of Mrs. Mary Treat's " Home Studies in Nature." The only 
echoes of science between the two covers are the Latin names of birds, 
insects, and plants ; all else are most curious and readable accounts of 
the doings of some creatures so tiny that they frequently are near us, and 
watching us, when we imagine ourselves alone. * * * This would be a capi- 
tal book to give a bright-eyed boy or girl who complains that about home 
" there is nothing to look at." Adults, however will also enjoy the volume, 
and may make their eyesight keener by reading it. — N. Y. Herald. 

The public should feel glad that occasionally a man or a woman finds 
highest pleasure in studying the ways and habits of nature, and publishing 
the result of such study to the world. This is what Mrs. Treat has done. 
* * * Her book is divided into four parts — observations on birds, habits of 
insects, plants that consume animals, and flowering plants. It is, moreover, 
helped by nearly seventy illustrations, which in a work of this character 
are of material assistance ; for the great majority of readers are unfamil- 
iar with the appearance of the birds, flowers, and insects, the habits of 
which are described. The author shows herself to be a keen, conscien- 
tious, and affectionate observer. — iV. Y. Telegram,. 

Mrs. Treat can always command a delightful audience ; for next to the 
pleasure of searching fields, woods, and streams for the beautiful or curi- 
ous, it is charming to hear from so close an observer so much that is in- 
tei-esting and new, especially when all is told with vivacity and genuine 
enthusiasm. * * * The volume is finely illustrated, and its contents cannot 
tail to entertain the reader, young or old, who has learned, or is learning, 
about the busy world out-of-doors. — Worcester Daily Spy. 



Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

The above work sent by mail, postage prepaid, to anif part of tJie United States 
or Canada, on receipt of the price. 



BISHOP SIMPSON'S SERMONS. 



Sermons of the Rev. Matthew Simpson, D.D., LL.D., late 
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Chm'ch. Edited by 
the Rev. George R. Crooks, D.D. pp. x., 454. 8vo, 
Cloth, $2 50. 

This is a welcome volume. The Christian community was awaiting it. 
It is the best we can have, now that the man and his eloquent tongue, 
which clothed them with life and beauty, is gone. They are able and 
eloquent, even on the printed page, and full of evangelical truth. — Pres- 
byterian, Philadelphia. 

The discourses given in this volume possess the impressive character- 
istics of their author — they are fresh, vigorous, clear, and telling. Only 
two of them were ever committed to writing, and nearly all of them were 
taken down as uttered from the lips of the living speaker, glowing with 
intense emotion and pathos. — Lutheran Observer. Philadelphia. 

The simplicity and directness of language in these sermons, their ear- 
nestness and vigorous, penetrating force, the spirit of sympathy that they 
breathe, are but a faint indication, after all, of the power that the preacher 
had over his congregations. — Boston Daily Advertiser. 

Our pastors and people will welcome the volume as a rich addition to 
their libraries. — Zion^s Herald. 

American Methodism has produced no man more revered by the entire 
denomination than Matthew Simpson. To executive abihties of a high or- 
der Bishop Simpson added a general character so pure, consistent, and 
noble that men who knew him unconsciously accepted his words almost 
as if they were direct results of inspiration. . . . Although they cannot 
reproduce his voice nor the peculiar expression which his face always 
wore when he was preaching, they show the secret of his pulpit strength 
to have been drawn from the same sources as that of the great preachers 
of the other churches — sincerity of behef, sense of responsibility, and no- 
bility of character. — N. Y. Herald. 

Bishop Simpson must be regarded as one of the great pulpit orators of 
his day in this country, and his utterances always had a gracefulness and 
a brilliancy that were exceptionally charming and moving. He never 
spoke save with the earnestness of absolute conviction, and the powerful 
quality thus imparted to his discourses is apparent in a measure in these 
printed pages. The sermons here presented are twenty-five in number. 
They are thoroughly religious, not a little doctrinal, but with scarcely a 
breath of sectarianism about them. They are marked by religious fer- 
vor, deep conviction of the truth, a perfect frankness of expression and 
earnestness of purpose. They are admirable specimens of pulpit oratory, 
and have also a value beyond that in the thoughts which they present. — 
Boston Gazette. 

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

Hakpku & Brothers will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid^ to 
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OATS OR WILD OATS? 



Common-sense for Young Men. By J. M. Buckley, LL.D. 
pp. xiv., 306. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. 

It is a good book, which ought to do good on a large scale. . . . Such 
passages as those headed Tact, Observation, Reflection, Self-command, and 
the like, may be read and re-read many times with advantage. — Brooklyn 
Union. 

A book which should be recommended to the consideration of every 
young man who is preparing to go into a business career or any other in 
which he may aspire to become an honorable, useful, and prosperous citi- 
zen. . . . Dr. Buckley knows the trials and the temptations to which 
young men are exposed, and his book, while written in most agreeable 
language, is full of excellent counsel, and illustrations are given by an- 
ecdotes and by examples which the author has observed or heard of in 
his own experience. Besides general advice, there are especial chapters 
relating to professional, commercial, and other occupations. So good a 
book should be widely distributed, and it Avill tell on the next generation. 
— Philadelphia Bulletin. 

It is a model manual, and will be as interesting to a bright, go-ahead 
boy as a novel. — Philadelphia Record. 

The scheme of the book is to assist young men in the choice of a 
profession or life pursuit by explaining the leading principles and char- 
acteristics of different branches of business, so that the reader may see 
what his experiences are likely to be, and thus be enabled to make an 
intelligent selection among the many avenues of labor. In order to make 
his work accurate and comprehensive. Dr. Buckley has consulted mer- 
chants, lawyers, statesmen, farmers, manufacturers, men in all walks of 
life, and specialists of every description, visiting and examining their es- 
tablishments, offices, and studios. From the knowledge thus gained he 
has prepared the greater part of his book The remainder is given to 
general advice, and contains the old maxims familiar to all young men 
from the time of Poor Richard. Success is won by good behavior, intelli- 
gence, and industry. These are the "Oats." The "Wild Oats" of lazi- 
ness, carelessness, and dissipation bring ruin, disaster, and misery. The 
work is likely to attract readers fi'om its practical value as a compendium 
of facts relating to the various departments of labor rather than on ac- 
count of its moral injtmctions. It cannot help being very useful to the 
class of young men for whom it is intended, as also to parents who have 
boys to start out into the world. — N. Y. Times. 



Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

K^ Hakpeu & BnoTHEBS will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid^ to 
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GEORGE ELIOT'S LIFE AND WORKS. 



LIBRARY EDITION. 

14 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $1 25 per vol. Complete Sets, $15 15. 



ADAM BEDE. Illustrated. 
DANIEL DERONDA. 2 vols. 
ESSAYS AND LEAVES FROM A 

NOTE-BOOK. 
FELIX HOLT, THE RADICAL. 

Illustrated. 
GEORGE ELIOT'S LIFE. By J. 

W. Cross. With Portraits and 

Illustrations, 3 vols. 



MIDDLEMARCH. 2 vols. 

ROMOLA. Illustrated. 

SCENES OF CLERICAL LIFE, and 
SILAS MARNER. Illustrated. 

THE IMPRESSIONS OF THEO- 
PHRASTUS SUCH. 

THE MILL ON THE FLOSS. Illus- 
trated. 



POPULAR EDITION. 

11 vols., 12rao, Cloth, 75 cents per vol. 



ADAM BEDE. Illustrated. 

DANIEL DERONDA. 2 vols. 

ESSAYS AND LEAVES FROM A 
NOTE-BOOK. 

FELIX HOLT, THE RADICAL. 

Illustrated. 

MIDDLEMARCH. 2 vols. 



ROMOLA. Illustrated. 

SCENES OF CLERICAL LIFE, and 
SILAS MARNER. Illustrated. 



THE IMPRESSIONS OF 
PHRASTUS SUCH. 

THE MILL ON THE FLOSS, 
trated. 



THEO- 

Illus- 



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BROTHER JACOB.— THE LIFTED VEIL. 32mo, 20 cents. 

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GEORGE ELIOT'S LIFE. By J. W. Cross. With Three Hlustrations- 
3 vols., 4to, 15 cents each. 

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SCENES OF CLERICAL LIFE. Svo, 50 cents. Separately, in 32nio : 
The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton., 20 cents ; M7\ GilJiVs 
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SILAS MARNER. 12ino, 20 cents. 

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CHARLES READE'S WORKS. 



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Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1 00 per vol. Complete Sets, 14 vols., Cloth, 
$12 00; Half Calf, $36 00. 



A SIMPLETON, AND THE WAN- 
DERING HEIR. 
A TERRIBLE TEMPTATION. 
A WOMAN-HATER. 
FOUL PLAY. 
GOOD STORIES. 
GRIFFITH GAUNT. 
HARD CASH. 



IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO 

MEND. 
LOVE ME LITTLE, LOVE ME 

LONG. 
PEG WOFFINGTON, &c. 
PUT YOURSELF IN HIS PLACE. 
THE CLOISTER AND THE 

HEARTH. 
WHITE LIES. 



A PERILOUS SECRET. 12 mo, Cloth, 75 cents. 



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IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND. Svo, 35 cents. 
JACK OF ALL TRADES. 16mo, 15 cents. 
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W. M. THACKERAY'S WORKS. 



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VANITY FAIR. 



MISCEL LA NEO US WRITINGS. 



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It surpasses all its predecessors. — N. Y. Tribune. 




A Dictionary of the English Language, Pronouncing, Etymological, 
and Explanatory, Embracing Scientific and Other Terms, Numer- 
ous Familiar Terms, and a Copious Selection of Old English 
Words. By the Rev. James Stormonth. The Pronunciation 
Carefully Revised by the Rev. P. H. Phelp, M.A. pp. 1348. 
4to, Cloth, $6 00; Half Roan, $7 00; Sheep, $7 50. 

Also in Harper's Franklin Square Library, in Twenty- 
three Parts. 4to, Paper, 25 cents each Part. Muslin covers for 
binding supplied by the publishers on receipt of 50 cents. 

As regards thoroughness of etymological research and breadth of modern inclusion, 
Stormontli's new dictiouary surpasses all its predecessors. * * * in fact. Stormonth's 
Dictionary possesses merits so mauy and conspicuous that it can hardly fail to estab- • 
lish itself as a standard and a favorite. — N. Y. Tribune. 

This may serve in great measure the purposes of an English cyclopaedia. It gives 
lucid and succinct definitions of the technical terms in science and art, in lawand 
medicine. We have the explanation of words and phrases that puzzle most people, 
showing wonderfully comprehensive and out-of-the-way research. We need only add 
that the Dictionary appears in all its departments to have been brought down to meet 
the latest demands of the day, and that it is admirably printed. — Times, London. 

A most valuable addition to the library of the scholar and of the general reader. 
It can have for the present no possible rival. — Boston Post. 

It has the bones and sinews of the grand dictionary of the future. * * * An invalu- 
able library book. — Ecclesiastical Gazette, London. 

A work which is certainly without a rival, all things considered, among the dic- 
tionaries of our language. The peculiarity of the work is that it is equally well adapt- 
ed to the uses of the man of business, who demands compactness and ease of reference, 
and to those of the most exigent scholar. — N. Y. Commercial Advertiser. 

As compared with our standard dictionaries, it is better in type, richer in its vocab- 
ulary, and happier in arrangement. Its system of grouping is admirable. * * * He 
who possesses this dictionary will enjoy and use it, and its bulk is not so great as to 
make use of it a terror. — Christian Advocate, N. Y. 

A well planned and carefully executed work, which has decided merits of its own, 
and for which there is a place not filled by any of its rivals. — X. Y. Sun. 

A work of sterling value. It has received from all quarters the highest commenda- 
tion. — Lutheran Observer, Philadelphia. 

A trustworthy, truly scholarly dictionary of our English language. — Christian Intel- 
ligencer, N. Y. 

The issue of Stormonth's great English dictionary is meeting with a hearty wel- 
come ever}^ where. — Boston Transcript. 

A critical and accurate dictionary, the embodiment of good seholarship and the 
result of modern researches. Compression and clearness are its external evidences, 
and it offers a favorable comparison with the best dictionaries in use, while it holds an 
unrivalled place in bringing forth the result of modern philological criticism. — Boston 
Journal. 

Full, complete, and accurate, including all the latest words, and giving all their 
derivatives and correlatives. The definitions are short, but plain, the method of mak- 
ing pronunciation very simple, and the arrangement such as to give the best results 
in the smallest space. — Philadelphia Inquirer. 



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page is not taken, $300 00; one-quarter of such page when whole page is 
not taken, $150 00 ; an Inside Page of advertisement sheet, $250 00; one- 
half of such page, $150 00; one-quarter of such page, $75 00; smaller 
cards on an inside page, per line, $2 00 : in the Weekly, Outside Page, 
$2 00 a line ; Inside Pages, $1 50 a line : in the Bazar, $1 00 a line : in the 
Young People, Cover Pages, 50 cents a line. Average : eight words to a 
line, twelve lines to an inch. Cuts and display charged the same rates for 
space occupied as solid matter. Remittances should be made by Post- 
Ofllce Money Order or Draft, to avoid chance of loss, ' J^f^/"^^^ 

Addres^: HARPER & BROTHERS, 

:, , V. ^ - Franklin Square, New York. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 957 897 5 



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